RI to review prison remission: Howard

RI to review prison remission: Howard

Reuters, Canberra/Jakarta

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Thursday called a
sentence reduction for Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba'aysir
offensive and said Jakarta was reviewing an annual prisoner
remission scheme.

Ba'aysir was jailed for 30 months over his role in the 2002
Bali nightclub bombings that killed 88 Australians. The cleric
had his sentence cut by 135 days on Wednesday, Indonesia's
Independence Day, sparking anger from Australia and families of
bombing victims.

"All Australians are outraged that this sentence has been
reduced. I find it offensive and I think millions of Australians
will find it offensive," Howard told parliament.

The cleric was among more than 50,000 Indonesian prisoners who
had their terms trimmed on Wednesday as part of a regular
prisoner remission program granted during Independence Day and on
special religious holidays.

Howard said Australia had asked Indonesia not to cut
Ba'aysir's sentence, but said the remissions were automatic under
a 1999 presidential decree.

"I also understand that as a result of this issue, the status
of that presidential decree is now being reviewed," said Howard,
adding any change would not overturn Ba'aysir's reduced sentence.

Indonesian Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin said he had not
received any letter conveying Australia's concern.

"Many foreigners think giving sentence reductions is
inappropriate. But prisoners (in Indonesia) have that right under
(the) 1999 decree ... and as long as the rules are like that, the
government must be consistent," he told reporters.

"But I don't see this as intervention. They are not telling us
to do this and that. They are only making comments," he said when
asked whether Canberra was meddling in Jakarta's affairs.

The Indonesian foreign ministry said Jakarta has been mindful
of Australia's concern.

"But we have also been equally careful to ensure the
independence of the judicial process and the matter of remission
is respected," said ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa.

"The remission to Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is not a reflection on
the individual per se rather than the application of the
remission program, which is applied in general," he said.

Indonesia also cut the terms of 19 others convicted over the
Bali bombings, which killed 202 people in all.