'Fight against terrorism goes on'
'Fight against terrorism goes on'
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, New York/Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has insisted that despite increasing protests, her government will continue to take preemptive measures against terrorism in Indonesia and to keep hard-line groups under surveillance in an effort to prevent further terror attacks in the future.
Speaking in front of the Indonesian community here on Monday evening local time, the President said that the country has been consistently fighting against terrorism -- a task made especially necessary by the string of terrorist attacks that had occurred inside the country.
"We will continue taking the necessary measures against terrorist suspects according to the law, and to monitor particular hard-line groups that may be planning to launch terror attacks," said Megawati, who was applauded by the dozens of Indonesians in attendance.
The President, who is accompanied by 70 government officials and legislators, is here to deliver a speech on terrorism and multilateralism to the 58th session of the UN General Assembly.
Megawati also defended the recent arrests by police of 18 people suspected of having links to the recent terrorist attacks or those who were allegedly involved or convicted of involvement in the attacks.
She told her audience that Indonesia has enacted a strict antiterror law and other regulations to deal with terrorism at home, and transnational crimes involving other countries.
"We have transparently announced how many people have been detained under the new law," she said, adding that the police had arrested 18 people alleged to be linked to the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta and other bombs in the past.
The key suspects in Oct. 12, 2002 Bali blasts have been sentenced to death while an accomplice was given a life sentence and many others were punished with terms of between four and 16 years imprisonment
The police have insisted they are hunting down a number of people, including the main suspects who were still at large, for their roles in the terrorist attacks.
A number of Muslim organizations have protested the recent arrests of 18 terrorist suspects and called for their release as the claim the arrests were not conducted in line with due process.
Hundreds of Muslims grouped in the Muslim Solidarity Alliance (ASOUM) staged a protest at police headquarters and the provincial legislative council in the East Java city of Surabaya, demanding that the police release the detainees.
The protesters claimed the police had abducted the suspects and said this would jeopardize the Muslim people's future in Indonesia.
The police in Semarang announced on Tuesday that they had released two of three suspects arrested in Karanganyar due to lack of evidence. With the releases, the police are still detaining 16 suspects, who are still undergoing intensive interrogation.
A number of wives of the detained suspects submitted protests with the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction in the House of Representatives, and called on the police to release all the suspects.
Meanwhile, the President guaranteed the safety of investors in Indonesia during a dialog with the America Business Society.
"We are continuing to tracking down the perpetrators, dismantle their cells and bring them to the court in accordance with our law," she said.
The President said that this kind of crime should not be related to a particular religion or race as "Terror may happen anytime, anywhere and may be committed by anyone."
Asked to comment on Vice President Hamzah Haz's close ties with certain hard-liners, and a recent statement in which he called the United States "the king of terrorists", the President said: "What the Vice President has said is really his personal opinion, while the government remains consistent in the fight against terrorism."
National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said at a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission II on security and home affairs on Tuesday that the police have released four of the 17 detainees -- not 18, as reported recently.
But he declined to provide details about the four who were released.
Da'i defended the arrests, saying the detainees were hiding information, harboring Bali bombing suspects or planning other terror attacks.
Asked about the manner in which the arrests were carried out, Da'i said the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding of the 2003 Antiterrorism Law and the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), which allows the police only one day to interrogate a detainee.
The Antiterrorism Law allows the police seven days to arrest someone allegedly involved in terror acts.
Da'i said warrants would be issued before an arrest in future to avoid a similar controversy.