Howard meets Mega at APEC, offering aid to fight terrorism

Howard meets Mega at APEC, offering aid to fight terrorism

Agencies

Australian Prime Minister John Howard offered Indonesia on Friday A$10 million (US$5.5 million) to fill gaps in its antiterror net, two weeks after scores of his compatriots were among more than 180 people killed in a Bali bomb attack. Howard said he had offered the money in a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Cooperation (APEC) forum summit at a heavily guarded Mexican beach resort.

Howard said he thanked Megawati for cooperating in a joint Australia-Indonesia police investigation to track down the bombers. "It was also an opportunity for me to offer to her an amount of $10 million to assist in boosting the antiterrorist infrastructure in Indonesia," he told a news conference.

Howard said the funds would be used to spur antiterrorist surveillance and security at airports and customs services. "I believe Indonesia needs assistance in this area," he said.

Australia also plans to give aid to Bali, most likely to improve health services there.

"I offered Australia's help in whatever ways were appropriate and possible. I have no doubt that a similar message will be conveyed to President Megawati at this meeting."

Megawati is trying to convince the world that she is taking stringent action against extremists. Six days after the attack, Megawati issued emergency regulations authorizing the death sentence for some acts of terror, allowing for suspects to be held for up to six months without trial and intelligence information to be used as prima facie evidence after being approved by a court.

But countries around the world, from Australia to Japan, Britain and the United States, are warning their citizens to steer clear of Indonesia country for fear of further atrocities.

Megawati asked how long Australia would keep the warning in force, Howard said. "I said it would remain for as long as we held concerns about the safety of Australians, and also that I knew that the outrage in Bali and the inevitable effects on tourists and tourism the travel advisory would have. I knew that would be damaging to her economy. I made the point that that was the intention of the terrorists and it was an unavoidable consequence."

Howard said Australia had concerns about other areas in Asia, including in the popular Thai resort of Phuket, not because of any intelligence information but because it fits the profile of a likely target for terrorists. He urged Australians to reconsider any plan to visit Phuket. Howard said he was pleased that Indonesia was making some progress in identifying the remains of the Bali bomb victims, allowing the bodies to be repatriated.

"So many bodies were so badly burned there will still be some very significant identification difficulties with a number, and that means that for some families the process is still going to be quite protracted."

Australian police have joined Indonesian police in a task force to track down those behind the Oct. 12 blast, in which 94 Australians were killed or presumed dead, the spokesman said.

President George W. Bush will meet with Megawati separately on Saturday.

The Indonesian leader will be trying to convince the world that she is fighting extremists and is expected to seek financial support and ask those countries whose citizens make up the bulk of visitors to Indonesia to lift their warnings against travel to the country.