Australia offers help on antiterror law reform

Australia offers help on antiterror law reform

Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Australian government has expressed concern over Indonesia's
antiterrorism laws, offering to send experts to help the country
reform its counterterror measures.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Wednesday
the experts would share with their Indonesian counterparts their
experience in reforming counterterrorism laws at home, and would
not intervene in Indonesia's justice system.

The experts would meet with Indonesian experts and discuss
legal as well as institutional reforms with regard to
counterterror measures, Downer said after meeting with Indonesian
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda here on Wednesday.

"We'll be sending a team of officials who are experts in
counterterrorism laws, in particular in the consultations we had
with other countries over reforming our own counterterrorism laws
and the changes we've made recently, or are in the process of
making, in Australia to our counterterrorism laws," he said,
adding that the details would be announced in two days.

"This is an excellent example of the collaboration between the
two countries. Indonesia makes its own laws and makes decisions
about what laws it wants to consider. But I think for the two
countries to talk to each other about how we're handling the
legal framework of counterterrorism is very important," he said.

Australia agreed last month on the enforcement of a tough
antiterror law, in which a terror suspect can be detained without
charge for up to 14 days. The law will be reviewed after five
years.

Downer is visiting Jakarta to meet with Indonesian government
officials on a range of issues, including Canberra's objections
to a possible sentence remission for jailed Muslim cleric Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir, as well as Australia's desire to see Jakarta
outlaw al-Qaeda-linked regional terror group Jamaah Islamiyah.

Downer declined to offer much comment on the issues, only
saying that Indonesia was progressing very well in its
investigation into the Oct. 1 Bali bombings.

"Look, we're pleased that the Indonesian government is looking
very closely at this remission issue, and that it is in a very
advanced state of consideration."

Minister Hassan welcomed Australia's initiative, and said
plans were already being discussed to improve Indonesia's
counterterror capabilities during a Cabinet meeting in August.

"The Oct. 1 bombings in Bali give us the momentum to seriously
study the institutional and legal framework of counterterrorism,"
he said.

He said the legal issues discussed with Downer included the
detention of terror suspects without charge and criminal charges
for those who help facilitate terrorism and for people who incite
hatred.

"We are open to studying and comparing our experiences with
other countries. We welcome their initiative to share their
experiences. But we do not feel obliged to approve these things,"
he said.

He also said Indonesia was reviewing a 1999 presidential
decree on prison remissions, particularly with regards to
extraordinary crimes such as terrorism.

Downer attended a ceremony in Kuta, Bali, on Wednesday to
commemorate the 2002 Bali bombings before flying to Jakarta.

He was accompanied by Chris Ellison, minister for justice and
customs; Les Luck, ambassador for counterterrorism at the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Bill Farmer,
ambassador-nominee for Indonesia. Also attending Wednesday's
meeting at the foreign ministry was David Ritchie, the current
Australian ambassador to Indonesia.

Downer is scheduled on Thursday to meet with a number of
Indonesian officials, including National Police chief Gen.
Sutanto and Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin,
before returning home on the same day.