Antiterrorism bill to go to House in June
Antiterrorism bill to go to House in June
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is proposing to submit very soon to the House of Representatives an antiterrorism bill, which allows foreign countries to prosecute terrorists in Indonesia and threatens stiff sanctions against them.
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the draft law was based substantially on the 1945 Constitution, UN conventions and civilian rights covenants derived from English common law.
"Terrorism is classified as a transnational crime as it can involve a network spread over several countries simultaneously; that is why foreign countries where our nationals are alleged to have been involved in terrorist acts are allowed to prosecute them here," he said. His comment was made after a ministerial meeting presided over by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Wednesday.
But, he added, the bill did not allow foreign lawyers to practice routinely in Indonesia.
"So, according to the bill, Indonesian citizens, foreigners, or even stateless persons will be subject to the bill, while the litigation process must be conducted in accordance with the Criminal Code Procedures," he said.
The minister explained that according to the bill, a terrorist was defined as a person who intentionally carried out violence against numerous people, created mass terror or fear, disrupted security, interfered with their freedom or rights, or damaged public facilities.
"So, a terrorist act is one that has a mass impact. (I guess) the definition of a terrorist in this bill is quite clear and it does not allow for misinterpretation," he said.
Yusril said the bill, which would be submitted to the House next month carried a five-year jail sentence as a minimum and the death penalty at the other extreme, depending on the scale of the offense.
The bill also stipulated the establishment of an antiterrorism body, whose main tasks would be to prevent terrorism and to carry out preliminary investigations into crimes categorized as terrorism.
"The antiterrorism body will include members drawn from the government, the National Police and the Indonesian Military and they will be required to have skills in handling terrorism," he said.
Asked about whether Indonesia was under international pressure to adopt such legislation, Yusril insisted that the government had sponsored the bill because the nation needed it.
He said Indonesia, as a civilized nation and member of the international community, would never tolerate any terrorist acts and would willingly cooperate with foreign countries to fight terrorism.
The United States stepped up cooperation with its allies and many other countries to fight terrorist networks worldwide following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist acts that claimed thousands of lives in New York.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines signed an antiterrorism agreement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, facilitating the exchange of information and equipment to fight terrorism.