Amrozi decision: Region on edge : Published on Aug 8, 2003
Amrozi decision: Region on edge : Published on Aug 8, 2003
The Nation
Asia News Network
Bangkok
The nerves of the intelligence agencies are stretched taut as
repercussions are feared from Thursday's death verdict.
Shouting "God is greatest" as he entered the courtroom to hear
whether he would live or die, Indonesian Islamic militant Amrozi
showed no sign of straying from his conviction that justified the
lives he had taken -- even after his death sentence was
announced.
Dubbed the "laughing bomber" for his indifference to his
victims, the mechanic was the first of 34 people to meet their
fate for his involvement in the bombing of two crowded Bali
nightclubs that killed more than 200 people.
Though the echo of his laughter could not be heard in
Thailand, the chill he produces can be felt here in Bangkok, a
city that anti-terrorist experts say has plenty of "soft
targets".
Since June, when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared
war on global terrorism by announcing the arrest of three Thai
Muslims who authorities said were plotting a series of bombing
attacks against Western embassies in Thailand, security and
intelligence agencies have been working tirelessly to make sure
the charges stick.
The latest development involved sending a team of
interrogators to Singapore to interview Arifin bin Ali, a
suspected member of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) who has been linked to
four Thai nationals currently detained by the court pending legal
charges from the police.
Arifin was apprehended last May in Bangkok and was quickly
whisked back to Singapore where he is wanted for planning a
number of terrorist attacks.
It is not clear if Arifin, also known as John Wong Ah Hung,
will be extradited to Thailand. What is certain is that the
authorities are looking to make the most of his admission that he
was working with four Thai suspects to plan these alleged
attacks.
Whether Arifin's statement will lead to convictions remains to
be seen. So far, police have yet to produce a tangible piece of
evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the suspects in
custody are guilty of the crime.
Nevertheless, it is generally understood that it was a good
thing for the government to come clean and admit that Thailand is
not immune to terrorist attacks. Indeed, for two years the
government has consistently dismissed suggestions from local and
foreign media of JI suspects entering and leaving the country at
will.
Sources say the government went through some serious soul
searching before deciding to admit to the JI presence in the
country. They say it took eight months after Singapore had made
the request for Arifin's apprehension before Thai authorities
acted.
One intelligence officer told The Nation they wanted to be
certain that all parties understood that such a move would have
political consequences.
According to Singapore's Home Ministry, Arifin went into
hiding in Thailand in January 2002 where he remained until his
extradition. It said Arifin has disclosed to the government that
he is involved with "a group of like-minded individuals in
planning terrorist attacks against certain targets in Thailand".
"Five foreign embassies including the Singapore embassy in
Bangkok were among those targeted. This information was
subsequently conveyed to the Thai authorities. The Thai and
Singapore authorities are working closely in the ongoing
investigations," the statement said.
While it was agreed that Bangkok's decision to come clean was
preferable, changing tracks came with a price. Many in the
intelligence community are wondering if this new political tack
will produce much-needed technical and logistic support.
During his recent visit to Thailand, the professor Zachary
Abuza of Simmons College, Boston, said enhancing law enforcement
can do wonders to contain terrorists' movements.
Improving immigration procedures, establishing a financial
intelligence unit to look after banking regulations and cracking
down on arms and people smuggling, as well as fighting document
forgery, are some measures that need immediate attention.
Thai intelligence officials say they don't have the same
privileges as their Singaporean counterparts, pointing to the
International Security Act (ISA) -- which permits authorities to
detain suspects indefinitely without trial -- and financial
resources.
They often cited the Singaporean lesson as an example of how a
pro-active anti-terrorism policy can put the public at ease and
turn the authorities into a source of comfort for the people.
The debate in Thailand, on the other hand, is about how to
imitate the Singaporean success without scaring everybody out of
their socks.