Stop speculation over Manila arrests, Susilo says
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.