Government seeks access to Indonesians detained in RP

Government seeks access to Indonesians detained in RP

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Phnom Penh

Indonesia is seeking access to four Indonesian men arrested in
General Santos city on the island of Mindanao for carrying
explosives, as the Philippine authorities are trying to establish
links between them and the Jamaah Islamiyah terror network.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told
The Jakarta Post here on Thursday the Indonesian Embassy
officials in Manila have sought access to the four men, who are
in police custody.

"Embassy staff, along with a local lawyer, are currently in
General Santos to meet the men. But so far no detailed
information about the circumstances of the arrest has been
provided," Marty said on the sidelines of the Association of
Southeast Asia (ASEAN) ministerial meeting here.

In Manila, President Gloria Arroyo said the Philippine
government was "working with the Indonesian government to trace
the underground contacts of the suspects and get a clear picture
of the transnational web of conspiracy".

Arroyo hailed the arrest as a victory against terrorism in
Southeast Asia.

"We are now tying up various testimonies to expose the entire
terrorist network that is threatening the political and economic
security of the region, especially in our immediate neighborhood
with Indonesia and Malaysia," she said as quoted by AFP.

"To beat this threat, we will continue to harness diplomacy at
the highest levels and community vigilance on the ground."

Marty said the Indonesian government would not intervene in
the legal process against the men, but would ensure their legal
rights were protected.

"We will only ensure that their civil rights are not violated,
and we have yet to establish whether they were visiting the
Philippines or have stayed in the country for some time," he
said.

A group of five men were arrested, while having lunch at the
bus station in General Santos city on Wednesday, carrying two
bags containing a rocket launcher, which they modified into
handmade explosives.

Four of the five were Indonesian citizens, while the other one
was a Filipino.

Philippine Foreign Minister Blas Ople said on Thursday the
arrest was made following a tip off from some officers, who led
the police to the men at the bus station.

"The police are now looking into the possibility of the
connection with al-Qaeda and Jamaah Islamiyah," Ople told the
Post on the sidelines of the meeting.

The minister was referring to the terrorist networks in the
region, which have been held responsible for a series of bomb
attacks in the region in the past few years.

Two other Indonesians, Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and Agus
Dwikarna, are being detained in the Philippines for carrying
explosive materials. They are currently serving 15 years and 11
years in prison respectively.