'BIN supplies information to Police'

'BIN supplies information to Police'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The national intelligence agency admitted on Thursday that it had
supplied information and other important data for the police in
the recent arrest of 15 Muslim terror suspects who have allegedly
been linked to a spate of recent terrorist attacks.

But, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chief A.M.
Hendropriyono declined to provide further details on what
information had been given to the police and added that the
complaints over the arrest were not warranted, as they were done
according to the law.

"Of course, the police arrested the activists after learning
from intelligence reports... We (intelligence and police
officers) analyzed the reports and I don't see any violation of
the official procedure," he said on the sidelines of a book-
launching on national defense published by the University of
Indonesia.

Many have criticized the way the police arrested the 15
suspects who are still being interrogated to determine their
role, in any, in a string of bomb attacks in the country.

The suspects, who were believed to be planning an attack on
several other targets, including the National Police
Headquarters, were arrested in respective hometowns, Jakarta,
Bandarlampung, Semarang and Medan.

Hendropriyono accused the suspects' relatives of exaggerating
the arrest to draw public attention and reiterated that the
police had indeed issued warrants before the activists were
captured.

"Of the most importance is that we have strong evidence to
arrest these suspects," he stated.

National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar has said that the
detainees' relatives were welcome to file a lawsuit against the
police over the arrest, and the public could let the courts
determine whether the arrest was legal or not.

Asked whether Indonesia had been under foreign pressure
(United States, Australia and Britain) to join their global war
against terrorism, Hendropriyono replied several questions: "How
should we react to the recent series of terrorist attacks here?
Would you say that there is no terrorism in the country? And...
do you think that security officers should just sit back and
remain calm in the face of such incidents?"

Meanwhile, the police in North Sumatra alleged that Abu Yasar
alias Dhani Sitorus alias Awaluddin, one of the 15 detainees,
had close ties with the eastern Asia's most wanted terror
suspect, Hambali, an Indonesian now in U.S. custody, as well as
Imam Samudra who was sentenced to death in Bali last week for
masterminding the Oct. 12, 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202
people, mostly foreign tourists, and injured more than 300
others.

Yasar, a resident of Medan, capital of North Sumatra, was
captured in Lampung on Sept. 5 for his alleged involvement in the
bomb blasts at three churches in May, 2000. At least 12 people
were seriously injured in the attacks.

North Sumatra Police chief detective Sr. Comr. Satria Hari
Prasetya said Yasar would be charged with violating the Emergency
Law No. 12/1951 for the illegal possession of explosives for
which he could face the death penalty.

"We are still hunting another suspected bomber, identified as
NS, who we believe may be holed up in Riau," said Satria.

Human rights group Imparsial demanded that the police clearly
explain to the public why it arrested the terror suspects, and
also address the allegation that they were being tortured during
the interrogations.

Imparsial's executive director Munir who is also the co-
founder of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (KONTRAS), said that he was feared that the police were
abusing human rights in these cases.

In related development, the police in the Central Java town of
Karanganyar arrested last Friday a 39-year-old man, identified as
Surono, who was allegedly linked to a terrorist group.

There has been no confirmation from the police on the arrest,
but Surono's wife Sundari told Antara on Thursday that several
police officers returned her husband's motorcycle, shoes and
money to her house.

Sundari said she had called up her husband on his cellular
phone several times but she could not get through. She also said
she had not received a warrant from the police on the arrest.