RI awaits approval to meet terrorist suspects
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesian Police and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials are seeking assistance from the Philippine authorities in a bid to obtain more facts and to provide legal protection for three Indonesian citizens who have been arrested for alleged involvement in terrorism in the Philippines, with a reported connection to al-Qaeda.
Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Indonesian diplomats in Manila met with the local police at about 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, but they were told that the police had no authority to provide them the access to the Indonesian prisoners.
"Soon after the meeting, we requested the Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help provide us access. They are supposed to notify us of any arrest, but we are now still waiting for their response," Marty told The Jakarta Post.
The Philippine police arrested three Indonesians identified as Agus Dwikarna, Abdul Jammal Balfas and Tamsil Linrung, along with five other suspected terrorists at the Manila airport as they were trying to leave for Bangkok. Police found bomb-making components on their person.
Both Agus and Tamsil are members of a group calling itself the South Sulawesi chapter of the Islamic Law Enforcement Committee (KPSI).
Agus is also reportedly the chief of the Laskar Jundullah Muslim organization, while Tamsil apparently resigned very recently as deputy treasurer of the National Awakening Party (PAN) to run a coal business.
It was the second arrest of Indonesian nationals this year by the Philippine police who also arrested Fathur al-Ghozi in January for his alleged involvement in bomb attacks in that country.
Like al-Ghozi, the three Indonesians arrested on Friday are said to be linked to the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).
Marty said that "thus far, the Philippine police have not yet found a connection between the four".
He argued that the latest arrest of Indonesians overseas did not prove anything about Indonesia's failure to take concrete actions in the global war against terrorism.
The new arrests came as the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation's top officials were visiting Indonesia and other Asian countries to step up mutual cooperation in dealing with terrorism and transnational crimes.
Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Saturday the Indonesian police detectives were collecting information about the three men from concerned institutions, including the immigration office.
Indonesian security authorities have persistently denied the possibility that the country was a hotbed for international terrorism activities, despite strong accusations from Singapore and Malaysia that key figures of JI, and possibly al-Qaeda, were roaming free in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, head of PAN's legal section Fachri Harahap admitted that Tamsil once served as the party's deputy treasurer but quickly distanced themselves by claiming that he resigned recently.
"Pak Tamsil Linrung once served as our deputy treasurer. But due to his business activities, he resigned both from his post and the party in January 2002. Therefore, we (the party) are no longer responsible for him," Fachri said.