Stop speculation over Manila arrests, Susilo says
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rejected on Thursday suggestions that the arrest of three Indonesians in Manila, the Philippines, had been orchestrated by Jakarta, saying it was inconceivable that the government would jeopardize the safety of its citizens.
He also called on all sides to refrain from speculating over the case, stressing that the country's foreign relations, intelligence and police communities were required to act in accordance with a clear code of ethics and within the prevailing rules.
"Let's not go overboard by suggesting that the arrests were engineered by the Indonesian government or the intelligence services ... I call on to all sides to stop speculating over the case and give credit to the (judicial) mechanisms currently underway," Susilo told reporters after a Cabinet meeting presided over by Vice President Hamzah Haz.
In an interview published by the Republika daily on Tuesday, Tamsil Linrung, who was arrested together with two other Indonesians, Agus Dwikarna and Ahmad Jamal Balfas, said that Indonesian intelligence was behind his detention.
The three were arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila earlier this month for allegedly transporting bomb-making components and violating immigration laws.
Tamsil, Agus and Ahmad strongly denied that they owned the bomb-making components found in their bags.
"There is no institution in this country that is not accountable ... there would be no tolerance for any such violations," Susilo said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President Hamzah Haz also denied the allegations that the arrests of Tamsil, Agus and Ahmad were engineered to ease international pressure on Indonesia to crack down on suspected terrorist groups within the country.
"I don't think that is true," Hamzah said on Tuesday.
Susilo said the government would do its utmost to ensure that the trio's detention and the procedures applied were fair and objective.
He pointed out that the Indonesian police had sent officers to the Philippines while the Indonesian embassy in Manila was monitoring developments and providing all necessary assistance to the detainees.
Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Thursday that his officers had met with the three detainees in Manila recently.
All three persisted with their claims that the bomb-making components did not belong to them, Da'i said.
"We must respect the local law in the Philippines, but we will continue to provide protection (for Indonesian nationals)," Da'i told reporters at the State Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting.