'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.