Government decides not to tackle Australia over raids

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has refused a request from the House of Representatives to send a team to conduct further probes into possible human rights abuses against Indonesians in Australia, saying the case was an internal affair of the neighboring country.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Friday that most of the raids were against Indonesians that had become Australian permanent residents, so it would be difficult for Jakarta to follow up the case.

"Almost 70 percent of the 23 Indonesians targeted in the raids are no longer full Indonesian citizens. We would like to help but it would be difficult," Hassan said at the State Palace after meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"There are only two full Indonesian citizens who suffered from the raids. One was trying to claim back his computer disk as his thesis was inside. And the other one is married to an Australian citizen, Jack Roche. So it's mostly a case of humanity and not a legal one," he added.

He emphasized that the government would continue to provide legal help and monitor the condition of the 23 Indonesians, but that would be the maximum support the government could provide.

For all Indonesian citizens abroad the government is able to provide legal assistance and possibly other kinds of aid. "But in this case that is all we can do," the minister said.

Australian security forces conducted heavy-handed raids against suspected terrorists or members of the outlawed Jamaah Islamiyah group in the wake of the Bali bombing, which killed over 190 people, many of whom were Australians.

Reports said that the raids affected 23 Indonesians living there. Some of these Indonesians told visiting Indonesian legislators that they were treated by Australian security forces as criminals, held at gunpoint and handcuffed.

Coming back from Australia, the legislators from the House of Representatives' Commission I on defense and foreign affairs summoned Minister Hassan and demanded that the government request a through investigation by the Australian side or send its own team to Australia to help investigate allegations of human rights violations against Indonesians living there.

The Indonesian government officially launched a protest against the mistreatment to Canberra, however underlined that Jakarta would not interfere in the legal process.