'Terrorists' accounts frozen'

'Terrorists' accounts frozen'

Fabiola Desy Unidjajaand A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has begun identifying the bank accounts of seven
Indonesian terrorist suspects who are likely to be listed with
the United Nations (UN) Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC).

The Indonesians -- Yasin Syawal, Imam Samudra, Mukhlas,
Parlindungan Siregar, Aris Munandar, Agus Dwikarna and Fatur
Rochman Al-Ghozi -- were among 10 terrorist suspects proposed by
the United States to be listed with the CTC.

Washington had frozen the accounts of these individuals and
submitted their names to the UN on Friday. Should there be no
objection within 72 hours, then all member countries will follow
suit.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda said on Tuesday
that police and Bank Indonesia (BI) authorities had started
monitoring the accounts of the seven suspects and were ready to
freeze them if they located them.

"This is a standard procedure for all UN members," Hassan
said.

"The police and Bank Indonesia have the details, but I can say
that there has been some action to stop the flow of funds to
these suspects," he added.

The minister said once the suspects were listed with the CTC,
Indonesia was obliged to seek out and freeze their accounts.

"We are not complying with the demands of a certain country,
but with the UN, as we are a member of the world organization,"
Hassan stressed.

The U.S. said over the weekend that the suspects were linked
with the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network, which was
enlisted at the CTC in November of last year.

JI has been accused of responsibility for the Oct. 12 Bali
bombings last year and the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in
Jakarta.

Under the UN Security Council resolution No.1267/2001, all
member countries must freeze the assets and accounts of all
organizations and individuals enlisted with the CTC as terrorist
suspects.

Indonesia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New
York Rezlan Izhar Djenie said the CTC was expected to officially
announce the inclusion of the seven suspects with CTC on
Wednesday.

"Should there be no objections from any member, all member
countries will be obliged to freeze the accounts and assets of
these individuals starting Wednesday," Rezlan told The Jakarta
Post by phone.

The diplomat said that so far there are no instructions from
Jakarta to object to Washington's proposal.

Hassan said there had been coordination between the police and
Bank Indonesia regarding the accounts.

"It is our obligation to monitor their accounts, to see
whether there are flows of funds from outside the country as most
of them have been named as terror suspects," Hassan said.

However, Hassan said that he personally doubted whether they
had any accounts or assets in the U.S.

"I can hardly imagine that these people from villages have
bank accounts in New York," he said.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said earlier, that the government
was looking at the possibility of freezing their assets.

Thorough investigation by the Indonesian police force, the
Attorney General's Office and other related government
institutions has already been conducted.

"Those institutions work quickly and once their work is
completed they will convey their recommendations to Bank
Indonesia," he said.