Boyce denies U.S. interference in RI legal process

Boyce denies U.S. interference in RI legal process

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph C. Boyce refuted on Monday
allegations that he had intervened in Indonesia's legal affairs
in the case of jailed cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

"Our position on Ba'asyir is clear, I don't see there is an
intervention, we are not demanding or prescribing a particular
outcome to the government of Indonesia. It is an Indonesian
matter," Boyce told reporters during a briefing at the embassy on
Monday.

"We are confident that the Indonesian authorities can handle
this in an appropriate way," he said.

The ambassador said the U.S. respects Indonesia's legal system
and his country cannot influence the legal proceedings here. But
the U.S. can comment on the outcome of Ba'asyir's case as
Indonesia frequently expresses its stance on developments in
other countries.

Commenting on the outcome of Ba'asyir's case, Boyce said his
actions did not constitute an intervention in Indonesia's legal
system.

"It is a normal thing in diplomacy to give an opinion or
comment on a particular incident like Ba'asyir's case," Boyce
said.

He also said that he had not received a summons from the
Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as yet to clarify his
actions in Ba'asyir's case.

"I would be very glad to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
to clarify or discuss about Ba'asyir's case," Boyce said.

Ministry spokesman Marty A. Natalegawa said on Friday that the
U.S ambassador's efforts to influence a number of the country's
top leaders in order to extend Ba'asyir's detention could be
interpreted as interference in Indonesia's legal process.

Koran Tempo earlier reported that Boyce had met with
Muhammadiyah Chairman Achmad Syafi'i Ma'arif to solicit his help
in lobbying some Indonesia's high ranking officials, including
Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Supreme Court Chief Justice
Bagir Manan not to release Ba'asyir.

Muhammadiyah is the Indonesia's second largest Muslim
organization.

Boyce said that his meeting with Ma'arif was private in
nature.

"But the idea that White House would be sending me on a secret
mission to Ma'arif is, frankly speaking, very unrealistic because
my job is to represent my country's position," he said.

When asked whether the U.S. government had evidence of the
involvement of Ba'asyir in alleged terror attacks, Boyce said
that the U.S. was cooperating with the Indonesian authorities.

"This is a legal matter and is still ongoing, we have tried to
be cooperative as best we possibly can," he said.

The National Police named on Friday Ba'asyir as a suspect in
various terror attacks across the country over the past few
years.

With his new legal status, Ba'asyir will be charged under Law.
No. 15/2003 on terrorism which carries the maximum punishment of
death.

National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno said
that the police had gathered evidence, including testimony of
witnesses in Singapore and Malaysia over the involvement of
militant organization Jamaah Islamiah, of which Ba'asyir is the
spiritual leader.

Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a UN-listed terrorist organization has
been blamed for the deadly October 2002 bomb attack in Bali and
the August 2003 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.