No evidence that Ba'asyir is terrorist leader: Police

No evidence that Ba'asyir is terrorist leader: Police

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesians detained in Malaysia failed to provide solid evidence
to prove that Indonesian Mujahidin Council chief Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir was a terrorist leader as suspected by the two
countries, National Police detective chief Insp. Gen. Engkesman
Hillep said on Monday.

Engkesman said that his team had already interviewed several
suspected terrorists detained in Malaysia and all claimed that
they were acquainted with Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, but did not to give
any lead for Indonesian authorities to make an arrest.

"They said many things ... that they received specific
training (from an Indonesian cleric). But, they gave only
testimonies. The suspects did not give us any direction as to
where we could look for solid proof. That is what we need to make
arrests," Engkesman told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He did not elaborate on what he meant by solid proof.

Engkesman and his officers Sr. Comr. Bagus and Sr. Comr. Benny
Mamoto left for Singapore and Malaysia last Wednesday to
interview 23 Indonesian terrorist suspects detained in Malaysia
and 13 Jemaah Islamiyah members in Singapore.

The team managed to interview several Indonesians detained in
Malaysia but failed to meet any Jemaah Islamiah members in
Singapore.

Engkesman also said that Singapore had failed to provide
visiting Indonesian Police with solid evidence to substantiate
Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew's recent controversial
statement that terrorist leaders were roaming free here.

"So far we have received no solid proof on that matter,"
Engkesman told reporters. He added that Lee's statements however
did reflect Singapore's definite concern over threats to its
national security.

"Singapore should not worry too much about Indonesia because
Indonesian security forces are fighting international terrorism,
in their own way," he said.

Meanwhile, hard-line groups protested on Monday outside the
Singaporean Embassy here, demanding Indonesia sever all ties with
Singapore over Lee's unsubstantiated remarks.

"Burn, burn, burn Singapore now! Expel Singaporeans!" members
of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Jakarta Laskar
Mujahidin shouted as they burned the Singaporean flag and tyres
outside the embassy.

An executive of the Jakarta Laskar Mujahidin, Sayud Hamidan,
said that they were protesting on behalf of Ba'asyir whom they
believed has been wrongly accused of being a terrorist.

"They are wrongly accusing Ustad Abu Bakar Ba'asyir. We demand
Singapore substantiate their accusations ... we are ready to be
confronted with over this matter," Sayud told reporters during
the demonstration.

"We will always fight for and defend the Ustad." Placards held
by demonstrators read that Singapore was messing with Islam and
that Singapore was a henchman of "America the terrorist".

Foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirayuda regretted the
protest, which he said violated both national and international
laws.

"As the foreign ministry that handles bilateral relations, we
regret the action of encroaching on embassy grounds and burning
the flag as it also violates our law. We expect all Indonesian
people and groups to respect the law," Hassan said in Denpasar,
Bali on Monday.

Hassan, who is scheduled to return to Jakarta on Thursday,
stressed that all embassy property and grounds were under the
jurisdiction of their own country and Indonesian citizens should
respect that.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I
members said on Monday that they would summon foreign affairs
minister Hassan Wirayuda to ask about Indonesia's response to
Lee's statement that regional terrorist leaders were roaming free
here.

"Soon after he arrives in Jakarta, we will question whether he
has clarified Lee's statement that Indonesia was a terrorist
haven, and whether Lee had evidence to support his remark," said
Commission I chairman Ibrahim Ambong.

He also said that the legislators would quiz the minister over
what he termed as "the growing inability" of Indonesian diplomats
in dealing with their foreign counterparts.

"Indonesia has recently been discredited by our neighboring
countries, such as Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, and we will
ask why this occurs and how the minister will tackle the
problem," he said.