Police to search Thailand for terrorist
JAKARTA: The police might go to Thailand to look for links between foreign terrorists and a former Army soldier they arrested for allegedly masterminding a series of bombings in Jakarta, National Police Chief Da'i Bachtiar said on Thursday.
"We're developing the possibility whether there is indeed an international (terrorist) network since the fact shows that the person went to Thailand," Da'i told reporters.
On Tuesday the police arrested former soldier Ramli, an Acehnese they believed masterminded the bombings of several shopping centers and churches in Jakarta in 2000 and 2001. Six others were also arrested on the same charges.
Da'i said Ramli's passport showed he traveled to Thailand. The latter earlier claimed he met friends there. "Of course we would like to know what he did and whom he met there," said Da'i.
Police said that Ramli might have links to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which is fighting for its independence. -- JP
;JP;AMD; ANPAa..r.. Scene-haj-plane Old planes sidelined in haj mission JP/4/SCENE
Old planes sidelined in haj mission
JAKARTA: In a bid to improve service and safety, the government has banned planes made before 1984 from carrying haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia next year.
Garuda president director Indra Setiawan said on Thursday the new standard was set after a request by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. During haj season last year the government tolerated the use of planes made in 1980.
For the next season, Garuda will transport half of some 200,000 Indonesian pilgrims.
Garuda has planned to lease up to 16 Boeing B747s, but will not use its B747 SP, Boeing B767-300 or Airbus 330 for the haj pilgrims. All the aircraft will be chartered for three months between Jan. 2 and March 23, 2003, with the contract covering crews, maintenance and insurance.
Indra said the tender for the haj mission opened late in July, with the winners set to be announced in October at the latest. -- Antara
;JP;KAN; ANPAa..r.. SCENE-House-wealth 155 DPR/MPR members have not submitted their wealth report JP/4/SCENE
155 lawmakers fail to declare assets
JAKARTA: Some 155 members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) are still refusing to submit asset declarations to the Civil Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN).
KPKPN deputy chairman Abdullah Hehamahua said here on Thursday that President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) topped the list for lawmakers who had not submitted their declarations with 47 offenders, followed by House Speaker Akbar Tandjung's Golkar with 25, the Interest Groups faction 22, the military/police faction 19, regional representatives 16, and Vice President Hamzah Haz's United Development Party (PPP) with 13. The others came from the Reform Faction with five offenders and the National Awakening Party also with five.
Abdullah refused, however, to reveal the names of the legislators or say what means his commission would utilize to force the lawmakers to submit their declarations.