Howard vows to pressure RI over Bali bombers
Howard vows to pressure RI over Bali bombers
Agencies, Canberra/Wellington
Australia's leader vowed on Wednesday to pressure Indonesia into
ensuring militants convicted of the Bali bombings are punished,
after an Indonesian court dropped charges against a confessed
conspirator in the attack that killed scores of Australians.
Indonesian Mohamad Ihsan, alias Idris, was sentenced on
Tuesday to 10 years in prison for involvement in a bombing at a
Jakarta hotel, but was cleared of charges of helping to plan the
October 2002 attack on the resort island of Bali.
The ruling followed a decision by Indonesia's Constitutional
Court last month that prohibited the retroactive application of
the anti-terror law used to charge him. The law had been enacted
after the Bali attacks, which killed 202 people including 88
Australians and three New Zealanders.
Tuesday's verdict raised concern among Australians that the 32
militants previously convicted over the Bali bombings could be
freed on appeal.
Howard said on Wednesday he would do all he could to ensure
the militants were punished.
"We will continue to put all the legitimate pressure we can on
the Indonesian government to make certain that these people
remain in jail, remain punished and remain fully accountable
before the law," Howard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"I can promise the families of the victims that no stone will
be left unturned by my government to see that these people remain
behind bars."
Howard also expressed concern that the convicted Bali bombers
would appeal, as many of them have said they planned to.
"It doesn't automatically follow that people already in
custody and already convicted of offenses can be freed as a
result of the Constitutional Court decision," Howard told ABC.
Another 10 defendants face terror charges over Bali and more
are expected to be arrested in the ongoing Indonesian police
investigation.
Idris was imprisoned for providing the chemicals for the bomb
in the J.W. Marriott Hotel blast that killed 12 people in August
2003.
Both attacks were blamed on the al-Qaeda linked Jamaah
Islamiyah terror network, which allegedly has operatives
throughout Southeast Asia.
In Wellington, New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said on
Wednesday that Idris who admitted helping to plan the Bali
bombing should not go free.
"If charges cannot be brought under the new terrorism laws
because that would conflict with the constitution, then surely
there must be other charges, ordinary criminal charges for harm
against individuals, that could be brought against this
particular person," Goff said in a radio broadcast.
Foreign affairs experts on the National Radio broadcast
predicted that the Constitutional Courts decision could spark
appeals from others already convicted of involvement in the
bombing.