Case against JI suspects reviewed

Case against JI suspects reviewed

SINGAPORE: Singapore officials have reviewed the cases of 18 suspected terrorists, accused of plotting a bombing campaign in Southeast Asia, to determine if they should remain under indefinite detention without trial, the government said on Thursday.

The 18 suspected Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) members, arrested in August, are being held under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA) and have not been produced in open court.

In the tight security and secrecy surrounding the arrests, the announcement of the review was only released by the home affairs ministry three weeks after they appeared in the Supreme Court chambers of Justice Chao Hick Tin.

The 18 are accused of plotting to cripple crucial targets in Singapore as part of a plan to overthrow the established order in Southeast Asia and create an Islamic state. --AFP

;REUTERS;KOD; ANPAu..r.. AGLANCE-THAILAND-CAMBODIA Thai court extradition ruling sparks rights fears JP/11/ASEAN

Extradition sparks rights fears

THAILAND: Thai court ordered on Thursday the extradition of a Cambodian opposition activist accused of trying to assassinate Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen four years ago, sparking concern from human rights activists.

In a verdict read at Bangkok's criminal court, a judge ruled Sok Youen -- who fled to Thailand after a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near a government motorcade in northern Cambodia in 1998 -- should be returned home within three months, subject to an appeals process.

Defense lawyers said they would appeal against the verdict. He said the accusations leveled against Sok Youen by the Cambodian government were politically motivated.

A rocked-propelled grenade exploded near a motorcade carrying government members to a swearing in ceremony at the royal palace in Siem Reap. The motorcade was not hit but a boy was killed. --Reuters

;AFP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Philippines-kidnap Muslim guerrillas kidnap nine, kill one in southern Philippines JP/11/ASEAN

Moro guerrillas kidnap 9, kill 1

PHILIPPINES: Moro separatist guerrillas killed one and kidnapped nine people during a raid in a remote southern Philippine community last week, police and military sources said on Thursday.

Sources said members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked a village near the town of Magsaysay in Lanao del Norte town on Nov. 16.

They burned a house owned by a convert to Islam, and gunned him down when he tried to stop them. Nine other members of the man's household were taken as hostages, the sources said.

The captives were believed taken to a rebel stronghold in a nearby province and the MILF members demanded some 50,000 pesos (about US$1,000) in ransom. --AFP

;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Malaysia-Army Malaysian military to court-martial officers in scam JP/11/ASEAN

Officers to be court-martialed

MALAYSIA: Several military officials are facing courts-martial and a police probe in connection with fake procurement billings totaling 7 million ringgit (US$1.8 million), Malaysia's defense minister said.

The officials are alleged to have billed the government for furniture, computers, air conditioners and electrical items that were either grossly overpriced or never received by army camps. No weapons were involved.

Defense Minister Najib Razak said the armed forces had completed investigations, but did not give more details of the scam or how many officials were involved.

The Star newspaper reported that defense investigators had uncovered more than 60 fake billings demanding payments for items several hundred percent higher than market price. --AP

;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Cambodia-K Rouge Cambodia urges UN to speed up passage of tribunal resolution JP/11/ASEAN

UN urged to resolve tribunal issue

CAMBODIA: Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Thursday urged the United Nations to quickly pass a resolution to resume talks on the establishment of a tribunal to prosecute surviving leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.

The United Nations abruptly pulled out of talks with Cambodia nine months ago over the makeup of the proposed UN-assisted Khmer Rouge tribunal, saying the Cambodian government failed to show a commitment to a credible trial. The negotiations had been under way for nearly five years.

Last week, a UN committee passed a resolution calling on U.S. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resume talks with the Cambodian government about setting up a tribunal. The resolution must still be passed by the UN General Assembly and is expected to come before it next month.

The fanatical Khmer Rouge movement, which ruled the country from 1975-79, have been blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians from overwork, starvation, illnesses and execution. --AP