Indonesians held in Manila: Scapegoats or terrorists?

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Speculation is growing is some circles that the three Indonesians recently arrested in Manila were made scapegoats to ease international pressure on Jakarta to act against reported terrorist elements establishing roots in the country.

At least that is what the three arrested men -- Tamsil Linrung, Abdul Jamal Balfas and Agus Dwikarna -- along with family and friends here would have us believe.

However such conspiracy theories were brushed off by Vice President Hamzah Haz when it was suggested to him that the three were being victimized by certain elements in their own country.

"I don't think that is true," Hamzah replied when asked by journalists here on Tuesday.

Hamzah then added that "if there is such a thing, we would have discussed it in one of the Cabinet meetings ... But we will check again with our embassy in the Philippines."

The arrest of the three men in the Manila airport comes on the heels of recriminations that the Indonesian government is not doing its bit to weed out terrorism.

The archipelago, because of its size and large Muslim population, has been identified as fertile ground for terrorist elements.

Developments in the past five months do show that Indonesians have been arrested or alleged to be connected to terrorist activities in other countries but not in Indonesia itself.

Authorities here however have maintained that there is little proof that individuals here are members or leaders of a regional terrorist ring.

Then on March 9 news broke that three men were arrested in Manila for carrying explosives.

The news was met with some skepticism, not the least since one of the accused -- Tamsil -- was a relatively well-known political activist who had close associations with senior political figures.

Many also believe that it may be a case of guilty by association due to activities in known Muslim groups.

Tamsil, in a published interview with Republika daily on Tuesday, said the events that led to his arrest indicated he was framed.

"This is all a sham ... This was ordered from Indonesia. Yes, probably by certain elements," said Tamsil, 41.

Without identifying the possible protagonists, he asserted that their arrest was devised to show "foreign countries" that something was being done.

"They find someone to make into a scapegoat. Since there aren't any terrorists, they make someone out to be one."

While Tamsil's background may not fit the customary terrorist profile, his political activism makes it easy for the narrow minded to finger guilt merely based on association since terrorism has in recent weeks often been erroneously equated with Islamic radicalism.

The graduate of the Teachers Training Institute in Makassar is active in socio-political Islamic organizations. His latest political role was as an executive of the National Mandate Party.

Tamsil claims that someone placed the explosives in his suitcase and that when he was ushered into a room by plainclothes policemen explosives were also already laid on the table.

Tamsil, who was in Manila for business, believes the very fact that he was a Muslim may have made him a target: "Before I was taken by the plainclothes policemen I was asked 'Muslim passport?'"

Tamsil's colleague, Agus, also fit the bill due to his activities in the Indonesian Mujahidin Council which is led by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir whom Singapore claims to be a terrorist ring leader.

It is not known if Abdul Jamal is politically associated with any group.