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.