Antiterror team heads to Pakistan
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A an investigation team was dispatched on Tuesday to Pakistan to meet with five Indonesian madrasah, or Islamist school, students arrested there for their alleged links to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group.
"The main mission of the team is to ascertain the charges of these students and to ensure that they receive proper treatment during detention," spokesman of the foreign affairs ministry Marty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
He said that Indonesia had no intention of interfering in the process.
"We respect the ongoing legal process against these people and understand that no one is above the law," Marty said.
He said the team consisted of two diplomats, two policemen and one officer from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).
Pakistan arrested six Indonesian students in early and mid- September for alleged links to JI -- and reportedly al-Qaeda -- both of which are on the UN terrorist list.
The six were identified as Rusman Gunawan alias Gun Gun, Muhammad Saifuddin, David Pintarto, Furqon Abdullah, Ilham Sopandi, and Mohammad Anwar As-Sodaqi. Saifuddin was reportedly released last week.
Gunawan is the brother of Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, the alleged operational chief of JI, blamed for a spate of terrorist attacks in Indonesia, including the deadly Bali bombings last October 2002 and the JW Marriot Hotel attack last Aug. 5. At least 202 people were killed in the Bali attacks and 12 in the JW Marriot bombing.
Hambali's little brother, however, has denied links to any terrorist network but admitted sending US$50,000 to Hambali, who is currently being held by U.S. security officials at an undisclosed location.
Previously, in a meeting between President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the 58th United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, Indonesia asked for access to meet its citizens.
"What we want to ensure is that they have proper treatment during the detention," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said.
During the visit to Pakistan, the Indonesian team is slated to hold meetings with that country's Federal Investigation Agency and Federal Criminal Agency as well as Pakistani authorities there.
Later, the same team will travel to Egypt to get first hand information about another Indonesian terror suspect, identified only as Idris, who was recently arrested in that country.
"After visiting Karachi, the team will continue its journey to Cairo to meet Idris and the local authorities regarding the charges against him," Marty said.
Idris was arrested in Cairo, Egypt for allegedly aiding and abetting two suspected terrorists.
Marty said the Indonesian government had received assurances from both Pakistan and Egypt that the team would have access to the detainees.
"We would like to have first-hand information regarding these arrests of our citizens, but not to undermine the ongoing legal process," Mary said.