Indonesia to introduce anti-terrorism law similar to ISA

Indonesia to introduce anti-terrorism law similar to ISA

RI to introduce anti-terrorism law

Indonesia will introduce an anti-terrorism law similar to the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia and Singapore to deal with local terrorists, a senior official said Saturday.

Indonesian Interpol chief Brigadier-General Dadang Garnida said the absence of preventive laws was a "barricade" to Indonesia's efforts to act against alleged local militants.

The country has been under mounting international pressure since the Sept. 11 bombings in the United States to act firmly against Muslim terrorists allegedly active there.

No one has been detained in the world's largest Muslim- populated nation for alleged links to international terror, in contrast to arrests made in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Dadang said Indonesia once had anti-subversion laws, but these were repealed after law reforms took place following the ousting of former Indonesian president Suharto in 1998.

"We are now in the process of formulating a new terrorism law ... it will be slightly the same as the ISA," he told AFP on the sidelines of an ASEAN senior security officials meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

"We need the law as soon as possible, maybe (it will be ready) one to two months after this," he added, without giving details.

Malaysia's internal security act allows, among other things, indefinite detention without trial.

Singapore has accused Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir of being a leader of the international terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, and said Riduan Hishamuddin, also known as Hambali, was linked to international terror and to planned attacks in the island republic.

Dadang said Indonesia did not take action against Abu Bakar because it has no evidence of his involvement but reiterated his country's "commitment to fighting terrorism." -- AFP