[Kabar-indonesia] Indo News - 3/24/03

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-- Avoid Indonesia, Americans told 
- Six Hurt in Australian Protest, Arrests in Jakarta 
- Protests drown out Muslim radicals
- Police rescue westerners from youths in Jakarta 
- Ceasefire Brings Uneasy Peace To Indonesia's Aceh Province
- C. Aceh roads opened amid 'jihad' 
- Regions: Critical Period for Aceh Accord
- Terror suspect loses appeal
- 'Swedish role' in destruction of Indonesian forests 
*****************************

The Straits Times
March 24, 2003 Mon
Terror Alert
Avoid Indonesia, Americans told 

Washington - The United States on Saturday renewed its terror-related warning 
for US citizens to avoid travelling to Indonesia and to consider leaving if 
they are already there, due to possible retaliatory attacks for the war in Iraq.

The State Department, echoing concerns first raised by the US and British 
embassies in Jakarta on Thursday and Friday, said the conflict in Iraq would 
likely inflame anger in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

'As a result of the military action in Iraq, Indonesia's frequent political 
demonstrations may escalate, increasing the potential for anti-American 
violence and for terrorist actions against US citizens and interests,' it said 
in a statement.

'The US Embassy in Jakarta has received credible information that extremist 
elements may be planning additional attacks targeting US interests in 
Indonesia, particularly US government officials and facilities.

'All US citizens in Indonesia are urged to take into account this 
information...and consider departing the country.'

But the statement made no mention of a specific Australian alert, issued 
earlier on Saturday, which warned that anti-Western groups may be planning a 
terrorist attack in Indonesia's second city of Surabaya.

The US, Britain and Australia are the three countries most directly involved in 
the ongoing invasion of Iraq.

In its alert, the Australian Foreign Ministry advised Australians not to visit 
Surabaya, where anti-war protesters picketed the US consulate and a McDonald's 
outlet on Friday.

The warning, which was dismissed by the Indonesian authorities, said there 
was 'credible information that terrorist groups with a history of targeting 
Westerners and Western interests may be planning terrorist activity on or about 
March 23 in Surabaya, Indonesia'.

On Thursday, the US Embassy urged Americans to ensure their safety 'as a result 
of heightened risks associated with the outbreak of hostilities, including the 
continued threat of terrorist attacks on Americans from groups associated with 
Al-Qaeda'.

A day later, the British Embassy warned that there was 'also a serious threat 
of more widespread harassment...including the threat of violence, during 
military action in Iraq'. 
-- AFP 
-----------------------------
Asean states will tighten immigration controls  
Kota Kinabalu - Asia's top security group is seeking to tighten the net around 
terrorists through stricter immigration controls and joint policing so as to 
counter heightened risks following the launch of war in Iraq. 

Anti-terror experts from the Asean Regional Forum ended a two-day meeting here 
on Saturday to improve the detection of forged passports, seal loopholes in 
immigration procedures and toughen law enforcement. 

Experts warned that the region, grappling with porous borders and inadequate 
resources, remained a vulnerable target for terrorists and must not slacken in 
its efforts to combat the scourge.

A meeting report said the absence of uniformity in the standards of travel 
documents, inadequate security features as well as weak procedures and 
practices made it easy for terrorists to move across borders.

It emphasised the need for greater inter-agency coordination, such as that 
between the police and the military, enhanced sharing of immigration data and 
capacity-building measures to curb terrorists' movements. --AFP 
-----------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Six Hurt in Australian Protest, Arrests in Jakarta 
Mon March 24, 2003 04:41 AM ET 
By Dean Yates
Jakarta (Reuters) 

Muslim protesters in Indonesia shouted "Hang George Bush" and "Bush is a 
vampire" on Monday while in Australia, police and about 150 anti-war protesters 
clashed on the doorstep of the national parliament.

Police arrested a group of radical Muslims in Jakarta after the men hunted for 
Americans to force them to sign promises to leave Indonesia -- the world's most 
populous Muslim country -- in the wake of the U.S.-led attack against Iraq.

Ten members of the small Islamic Youth Movement were arrested as they 
approached a McDonald's fast-food restaurant in the city center, a Reuters 
witness said. They had earlier entered another American food chain but found no 
foreigners.

Elsewhere in Asia, there were small protests in the Philippines and South Korea 
while Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called the attack on Iraq the 
act of a cowardly, imperialist bully.

Mahathir was feted by the administration of President Bush last year as an 
example of a moderate Muslim ally in the U.S.-led war on terror.

There were protests in at least seven Indonesian cities.

As in previous days, the biggest was in Indonesia's second largest city of 
Surabaya where about 2,000 protesters marched to the U.S. consulate.

In Jakarta, a small group of protesters kicked the gate of the British embassy. 
In Semarang, capital of Central Java province, hundreds of protesters from 
various political parties shouted "Hang George Bush!...Hang George Bush!"

In Jember town in East Java, about 200 protesters carried banners through the 
streets that read "Bush is a vampire."

Indonesia, generally a U.S. ally, has long opposed any attack against Iraq. 
Although protests have not been large by Indonesian standards, diplomats have 
said that could change if the war was prolonged and the number of Iraqi 
civilian casualties mounted.

Police who arrested the members of the Islamic Youth Movement said they would 
not tolerate violence against foreigners.

Leave Indonesia
The Islamic Youth Movement had said on Saturday Americans had two days to leave 
Indonesia or be forced out.

"Ordinary Indonesians are not happy with actions carried out by elements like 
these," said Ricky Wakanno, central Jakarta deputy police chief, referring to 
the 10 arrested militants.

He said they would be charged with disturbing public order.

Similar threats from fringe groups to "sweep" Westerners, or force them to 
leave, proved hollow during the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan in 2001.

In the Australian capital Canberra, six police officers and security guards 
were injured and three people arrested in a disturbance outside parliament 
house.

Detective Superintendent Mark Johnsen said violence erupted when about 150 of 
600 people demonstrating on parliament's front lawns marched up to the building 
and tried to break through a line of about 65 police and security guards into 
the building.

The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations in Australia against 
the war and Australia's involvement in it.

In the Philippines, about a dozen protesters chanted anti-war slogans outside 
the U.S., British and Australian embassies in Manila. They poured pig's blood 
on the pavement outside the British Embassy and covered an army helmet in 
animal entrails.

About 300 people, led by South Korea's most militant union group, held a rally 
in front of the National Assembly in Seoul building to protest Seoul's decision 
to contribute about 700 non-combat troops to the U.S.-led war, witnesses said.

There were minor scuffles between police and demonstrators.

In Thailand, a group plans to gather 1,000 people outside the U.S. embassy in 
Bangkok on Monday night for a candle-light vigil against the war. 
-- (With reporting by Telly Nathalia in Jakarta, Belinda Goldsmith in Canberra, 
Charie Villa in Manila and Lee Jae-won and Judy Lee in Seoul)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CNN.com/World
Protests drown out Muslim radicals
By Amy Chew
Monday, March 24, 2003 Posted: 1445 GMT (10:45 PM HKT)
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) 

"Stop War, Peace Now," read several banners during recent anti-war protests on 
the streets of Indonesia. 

Over the weekend about 2,000 protesters rallied outside the heavily fortified 
U.S. embassy in Indonesia's capital Jakarta shouting anti-U.S. slogans before 
marching to the U.N. office a few blocks away. 

By Indonesian standards, the protests have not been large. But they have been 
significant. 

Significant, analysts say, because the peace rallies have served to drown out 
the voices of radicals baying for America's blood in the world's most populous 
Muslim country. 

"These demonstrations have been 'hijacked' by the massive demonstrations in 
America and Europe and also the participation of non-Muslim in the protests 
here," former minister and political analyst, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, told CNN. 

"The radicals cannot turn it [Iraq war] into a religious issue." 

The situation now is in stark contrast to events surrounding the U.S. invasion 
of Afghanistan in 2001. That campaign sparked massive demonstrations and 
threats against foreigners. 

Some churches were also threatened, causing nervousness among the Christian 
minority. 

Now, the conspicuous presence of Christians and a smattering of ethnic Chinese -
- a group who traditionally shun from taking part in protests -- along with 
Muslims has served to help neutralise existing and potential extremism. 

The country's Christian minorities said they felt safe and secure throughout 
the loud and sometimes noisy demonstrations against the war in Iraq. 

"We feel safe. There have been no threats against Catholics or Protestants. The 
huge movements in America and Europe have helped to calm the situation here," 
Mudji Sutrisno a Catholic priest, told CNN. 

According to Sutrisno, the country's two largest Muslim organisations, 
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhamadiyah, have told their followers the war in Iraq 
is not an attack against Islam. 

"NU and Muhamadiyah are the majority in the country so I don't worry about the 
radicals who want revenge as they comprise a small group," said Sutrisno. 

Muhamadiyah, which claims some 30 million followers, has instead called the 
Iraq war an attack against humanity. 

"The people in America, Australia, England themselves have staged huge protests 
as they don't agree with the war but what can they do when their leaders, Bush 
and Blair, don't want to listen," Muhamadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif said. 

Maarif also urged the people not to try and force foreigners to leave the 
country -- a tactic sometimes labelled "sweeps" -- as it would be "very bad" 
for the country. 

War against values
In the capital Jakarta, the largest protests have been staged by the Justice 
Party -- a Muslim-oriented group with as powerful organisational ability which 
advocates turning Indonesian into an Islamic state. 

Its leader Hidayat Nur Wahid called the Iraq war "a war against universal 
values." 

Even the radical Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) softened its tone during a rally 
in Jakarta on Sunday. 

"This war is a war against all religions -- Christians, Hindus, Buddhists -- as 
they all oppose this war," FPI secretary-general Ahmad Shabri Lubis told 
reporters. 

FPI has called for volunteers to wage a jihad or holy war against America in 
Iraq. 

They claim more than a thousand men have signed up so far. 

In the second largest city of Surabaya, thousands of demonstrators protested 
carrying placards that read "Stop War" and "Bush Is a Terrorist." 

The protesters were largely students, secularists and nationalists. They 
outnumbered protesters who called for "jihad" or holy war against America. 

Prominent labor activist Dita Indah Sari is busy mobilising nationalists, 
secularists, students, workers, to take to the streets in Jakarta. 

"We want to broaden this movement to encompass as many elements of society as 
possible," she told CNN. 

"The huge anti-war movement in America and Europe has shown Indonesians here 
that non-Muslims are against the war," she adds. "This has taught Indonesians 
not to be racists and not to be narrow-minded." 

However, if the war in Iraq should be protracted and long drawn-out, it risks 
strengthening the voices of the radicals. 

"If the war is protracted -- messy, with horrendous images of civilian 
casualties coming from the TV -- then there will be a build up to the protests 
in Indonesia and the potential they will get out of hand," said former minister 
Kusumaatmadja. 

And that is something the government is monitoring closely. 

Already, there have been reports of police in Surabaya arresting a group of 
Muslim radicals that were hunting for Americans to make them sign promises to 
leave the country. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABC Radio Australia News 
25/03/2003 02:16:44
Police rescue westerners from youths in Jakarta 

In Indonesia, ten members of an Islamic youth group have been arrested, after 
trying to attack westerners after an anti-war rally in Jakarta.

Indonesia correspondent Tim Palmer reports the men were arrested after 
surrounding a group of foreigners in a car:

"The 10 members of the Islamic youth movement went from a demonstration outside 
the US consulate to Jakarta's main backpacker area looking for foreigners. They 
then moved to branches of the Sizzler and MacDonalds restaurant chains, 
brandishing sticks before attempting to drag three foreigners out of a taxi. 
Police arrested the 10. It's the first sign of so called 'sweeping operations' 
called for by radical groups in reprisal for the war in Iraq."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Voice of America
Ceasefire Brings Uneasy Peace To Indonesia's Aceh Province
Patricia Nunan
Banda Aceh, Indonesia
24 Mar 2003, 13:37 UTC

Separatist rebels in Indonesia's northern province of Aceh have agreed to lay 
down their weapons as part of a peace deal signed with the Indonesian 
government in December. But guerrillas from the Free Aceh Movement are 
cautious. It is almost a two-hour drive on the windy and hilly roads off Aceh's 
main highway to the remote area held by the separatist "Free Aceh Movement" - 
called GAM in Indonesia. 

But on the way, you know you're getting there: Indonesian government offices 
lie abandoned, while the single-starred GAM flag flies over even the smallest 
of towns. Finally, the rebel guides my translator and I have picked up along 
the way, tell us to stop in a tiny town where two rows of shops face each other 
on an otherwise empty dirt road. A four-wheel-drive vehicle, filled mostly with 
armed teenagers, roars into town, marking the arrival of the GAM commander I 
have arranged to meet. GAM commander Sofyan Dawood oversees hundreds of rebels 
from this jungle outpost, the name of which I have promised not to reveal. 

GAM signed a peace deal with the Indonesian government in December - an 
agreement brokered by the Swiss group, the Henri Dunant Center, or the HDC. The 
rebels agreed to give up their 26-year violent quest for independence in 
exchange for broad autonomy. In addition, the rebels have agreed to lay down 
their arms in exchange for promises that government troops will move into 
defensive positions. But the GAM rebels do not entirely trust the cease-fire. 
They estimate there are at least 500 well-trained militiamen in Central and 
East Aceh, who they say have been trained by the Indonesian military to provoke 
unrest. 

The rebels charge that unrest includes recent demonstrations against the HDC 
peace monitors in Aceh. Rebel commander Dawood said the military wants to use 
demonstrations to make Aceh province appear unstable, justifying a military 
crackdown throughout the province. Indonesian troops forced the people to 
engage in demonstrations, he said, because they don't want the HDC monitors in 
Aceh. Earlier this month, two HDC staffers were injured in the town of 
Takengon, when a demonstration against the HDC turned violent. The crowd was 
angry that HDC monitors allegedly failed to follow-up on complaints made 
against GAM separatists. 

Rebel commander Dawood also says armed militia groups are using threats to get 
Acehnese to join the militias and produces some local villagers to attest to 
this. 

It is clear they have been coached about what to say to a visiting journalist. 
But despite this, some of the their emotions seemed genuine. One man told VOA 
he was given 24 hours to decide to be in a militia and was threatened. It took 
a bit of cajoling to find out what kind of threats had been used. A woman said 
the military came at 9 o'clock at night, threatened her, then burned down her 
house. She said two of her children are still in that town. 

Senior GAM officials, like peace negotiator Nashiruddin, said they want to 
resolve the issue of militias through talks with the government. And until 
Indonesia's military, called the TNI, disarms the militias, the rebels will not 
let their guard down. "Because they attack us, they have guns, and the TNI 
acknowledge that they have guns - so we have the right to use the guns to 
defend ourselves," Nashiruddin said. 

Senior Indonesian military officials, however, say it is GAM, and not the 
government, trying to manipulate the peace process. 

Brigadier General Safzen Noerdin, the Indonesian military liaison to Ache's 
peace process, said there are no militias in Aceh because none were ever 
trained by the military, and no one is armed. The general said the people in 
Central Aceh are very strong and the demonstrations are spontaneous and not 
being manipulated. 

David Gorman, the head of the Henri Dunant Center in Aceh, said the situation 
bears watching. "The agreement says specifically that there should be no new 
paramilitary groups. And both parties know that. It's often hard to say; we 
haven't seen any confirmed incidents that we've been able to investigate by any 
so-called militia. But we are watching that very closely and that is something 
that does concern us," Mr. Gorman said. 

Incidents of violence and other complaints are being investigated by monitoring 
teams from the HDC, as well as government and rebel representatives. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
March 25, 2003
C. Aceh roads opened amid 'jihad' 
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Despite allegations infamous pro-Jakarta militia Laskar Jihad are waging 
a "holy war" against pro-independence forces in Central Aceh, public 
transportation services resumed on Monday to ease the regency's isolation.

With the help of heavily armed Indonesian security forces, a number of buses 
and trucks traveled in and out of the regency's capital of Takengon, carrying 
passengers and commodities to markets in Banda Aceh, the capital of the war-
torn province, and strategically important Lhokseumawe in North Aceh. 

The Joint Security Committee (JSC) monitoring a shaky truce between the TNI and 
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists were forced to abandon their presence in 
Central Aceh after their office was attacked by a pro-Jakarta mob, including 
members of Laskar Jihad, on March 3. 

Two JSC staff were injured in the attack, blamed on the JSC's inability to halt 
extortion and violence committed by GAM. 

On March 15, four people were killed and 11 cars and buses set on fire in 
Burlintang district. The attacks were blamed on the militia, who some believe 
are linked to the TNI, and are said to be responsible for religious violence 
throughout Indonesia. 

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Eddy Fernandy, speaking in Banda Aceh, said 
Central Aceh's isolation had already been eased following the deployment of TNI 
and police personnel to the regency to enhance security along the highway 
linking Takengon and Banda Aceh. 

"With the deployment of security personnel, the road connecting the two towns 
is expected to be safe for the passage of people and goods." 

He said about 600 military personnel were in the regency helping hundreds of 
armed police restore security. 

Raihan, a Banda Aceh resident who has just returned from Takengon, concurred 
but said many people in rural areas in the regency were living in fear of the 
militia, who claimed to be waging jihad against fellow Muslims GAM in the 
province. 

"Many people are still reluctant to leave their villages because of the absence 
of security personnel. But the situation in Takengon itself has returned to 
normal and there are no more mass demonstrations like we have seen in the last 
two weeks." 

Raihan called on authorities to improve security, particularly in rural areas 
and roads to ensure safe passage in and out of the area. 

About 30 people who had fled their villages were seeking refuge in a mosque in 
Takengon following intimidation by the militiamen who say GAM are behind the 
violence. Internally displaced people are now thought to number at least 500. 

Burhan, not his real name, said he sought refuge after militiamen asked him to 
hand over his younger brother, a member of GAM, to the TNI. 

"The militiamen, who call themselves members of Laskar Jihad, have terrorized 
villagers not to support GAM because besides fighting for Aceh's separation 
from Indonesia, they still extort the people," he said. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laksamana.net
Regions: Critical Period for Aceh Accord
March 23, 2003 07:37 PM
 
Laksamana.Net - Confidence in the three-month-old Aceh peace agreement is fast 
dissipating, causing some observers to predict that the agreement has now 
reached a critical period. 

Violence has increased the level of distrust between the government and the 
Free Aceh Movement (GAM), pushing the agreement closer to the edge of collapse. 

The Indonesian Military (TNI) and GAM continue to blame each other for 
violations of the ceasefire, showing little of the spirit of confidence-
building that the agreement demanded. 

Jakarta accuses GAM of inciting propaganda that the peace deal will mean that 
the rebels get their wish for independence although the peace plan actually 
provides for greater local autonomy within Indonesia, but not independence. 

As a condition to signing the peace agreement, GAM agreed to Jakarta's plan to 
give "special autonomy" to the province. The plan would allow the Acehnese more 
control over provincial affairs - including the revenue from its oil and 
natural gas deposits and its forests. 
*****
Independence: It's All In A Word 
A new local legislature is to be elected next year but the rebels say they 
still want independence - and the peace plan is simply a means to end the 
fighting. 

Supporters of independence are relying on the peace plan's call for an "all-
inclusive dialogue". They say including all Acehnese in the dialogue eventually 
means having a referendum on independence. 

Brig. Gen. Safzen Noerdin, the Indonesian government representative to the HDC, 
is still optimistic the peace process can work but says it depends on the 
rebels sticking to the agreement. He says the rebels must accept the fact that 
the agreement is not for independence. They must accept the special autonomy 
law, he said. 

David Gorman from the Henry Dunant Center (HDC) said last week that the HDC 
hopes that its efforts to instill dialogue as means of negotiation instead of 
armed clashes will help both parties resolve their differences. 

"The point of this agreement like many is that it's a process. It starts first 
with security and trying to reduce security incidents that are occurring," said 
Gorman. "So that then we can create a situation in which both sides feel more 
comfortable and more able to resolve it peacefully." 

Acehnese have complained the Joint Security Committee (JSC) has failed to stop 
the rampant extortion committed both by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and 
security personnel. 

JSC Chairman Maj. Gen. Tanungsuk Tuvinan admitted the JSC had no authority to 
impose any strict action against breaches of the peace deal. 

"It is very difficult for us to seek evidence on the extortion and the 
imposition of strict sanctions against those violating the agreement should be 
entrusted both to the military and GAM leadership," he said. 

Human rights officials have also claimed local Acehnese are being manipulated 
by both security forces and the rebels, with Takengon, in particular, badly 
hit. Scores of residents of Timang Gajah, Central Aceh, are reportedly still 
taking refuge in a mosque in Takengon and refuse to return to their homes 
because of widespread extortion by security personnel deployed in the village. 
*****
Takengon: cause and effect 
Recent violent incidents in the Central Aceh regency of Takengon have had a 
profound effect on the regency and sparked concerns of a looming humanitarian 
problem. 

Fuel prices are reported to have risen to between Rp3,500 and Rp5,000 from the 
old price of Rp1,800 to Rp2,200. 

Brig. Gen. Suharto, chief of the operation to restore security in Banda Aceh, 
said Monday (17/3/03) he had instructed the police and military in Bireuen and 
Central Aceh to boost security along the Bireuen-Takengon highway to ensure the 
supply of basic commodities. 

The highway has been blocked by residents following two violent incidents in 
the regency earlier this month. Local media reports say that residents live in 
fear and stay indoors because of the uncertain conditions. 

Two Acehnese burned to death when an unidentified armed group set fire to 12 
cars during a sweeping operation near Takengon. A drive-by shooting near the 
town of Lhokseumawe in North Aceh killed another two. 

Hundreds of people in Pondok Baru, some 33 kilometers east of Takengon, are 
reported to have staged a demonstration demanding local security authorities 
enhance security both in their own villages and at traditional markets. 

The demonstrators reportedly wore Laskar Jihad headbands, the 'disbanded' Java-
based Muslim paramilitary gang, and claimed that GAM was behind the two 
incidents. 

Tengku Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, representing GAM in the JSC, conceded that GAM had 
collected taxes from the people to purchase arms. 

"If the Indonesian government is allowed to collect taxes from the people, we 
have the same authority to do so," he said. 

He said, however, that GAM would take action against those members who imposed 
illegal levies on the Acehnese. 
*****
Protests Over Delayed Aid 
The two-week protest by 600 Acehnese transmigrant refugees over the slow 
disbursement of resettlement funds has now claimed one life and four other 
hunger strikers have been hospitalized. 

A 43-year old refugee, Sakino, died of malnutrition though he is thought not to 
have joined the hunger strike being staged by 48 other refugees. 

In December, Jakarta suspended aid over suspicions that Rp2.6 billion (about 
$290,000) of the Rp105 billion program had been embezzled by local officials in 
North Sumatra. 

The humanitarian aid program covered 12,000 families, and each was to get 
Rp8.75 million. 

Following the protest by the refugees, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar 
Chamsyah promised to disburse the funds to the remaining families. 

A group of 3,000 refugees from Aceh are camped out at the office of North 
Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin, demanding the immediate disbursement of the 
funds as promised by Bachtiar. 
*****
Makassar Bombing Progress 
Makassar police submitted Tuesday (18/3/03) the third batch of case files to 
prosecutors on two suspects in the bombing of a McDonald's outlet in the South 
Sulawesi capital, Makassar, which killed three people and 11 others injured 
last year. 

Prosecutors received the case files of Kahar Mustafa and Usman, as part of 
preparations for the suspects' trials. South Sulawesi chief of detectives Sr. 
Cmr. Achmad Abdi said that prosecutors had returned the case files of two other 
suspects due to administrative flaws. Their files were being revised, he said. 

Police have, in total, arrested 19 suspects, and have submitted the dossiers of 
eight to prosecutors. However, four key suspects behind the December bombing, 
Agung Abdul Hamid, Hizbullah Rasyid, Dahlan and Mirjal, remain at large. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terror suspect loses appeal
Jakarta, March 25, 2003 (AFP)

AN Indonesian court ruled yesterday the detention of terror suspect Abu Bakar 
Bashir is legal and rejected a suit from his lawyers seeking the release of the 
elderly Muslim cleric.

Judge Tusani Jabri dismissed claims Bashir's detention was illegal because 
police had changed their allegations against him since his arrest last October. 

Police and foreign governments say Bashir, 64, is the spiritual leader of the 
Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror network, which is blamed for the October 12 
Bali bombings, that killed 202 people, and other deadly blasts in Indonesia. 

"From early on, from the handing over of the evidence file to the prosecutor's 
office, the police investigators included Article 107 (covering treason) of the 
penal code in their charges," Judge Jabri said, "therefore the prosecutor's 
office did not make any changes or additions to the charges." 

Bashir's lawyers, who said they would appeal, say that when he was arrested he 
was accused of involvement in the Christmas Eve 2000 bombings of churches and 
priests and of trying to assassinate President Megawati Sukarnoputri when she 
was vice-president. 

But the extension of his detention in January cited treason and immigration 
violations. Treason is punishable by 20 years jail. 

Police have said they expect Bashir to be charged over the Bali blast. They say 
that before the bombings, Bashir had given his blessing to a "holy war" in 
Indonesia and Singapore against the US and its allies. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straits Times
March 24, 2003 Mon
'Swedish role' in destruction of Indonesian forests 
-- Several blue-chip companies in Sweden have either equipped, bankrolled or 
traded with the logging industry: Report 

Stockholm - Swedish companies pride themselves on their high standards of 
business ethics, but now corporate heavyweights have come in for stinging 
criticism for their alleged role in the destruction of Indonesian rainforests. 

A report by the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation (SSNC), which was 
published last week, said that several Swedish blue-chip corporations have 
either equipped, bankrolled or traded with the Indonesian logging industry, 
which is accused of large-scale destruction of the country's tropical forests. 

SSNC and the World Wildlife Fund accuse Indonesian companies Indah Kiat, owned 
by Asia Pulp and Paper, and Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), owned by Asia 
Pacific Resources International Holdings, of turning huge areas of the 
irreplaceable Indonesian rainforest into acacia and eucalyptus plantations, 
with disastrous consequences for inhabitants and wildlife. 

And all this is done with the help of Swedish companies, SSNC claims in the 
report, which reads like a Who's Who of the country's business elite. 

'Many Swedish companies show a happy face at home, but abroad they don't have 
control over the companies they work with and are involved in operations that 
destroy the environment and violate human rights,' said SSNC chairman Mikal 
Karlsson. 

Swedish financial services giant Nordea figures prominently in the report for 
allegedly helping to fund construction of an Indah Kiat paper plant, while ABB, 
the Swiss-Swedish engineering company, delivered machinery to both Indah Kiat's 
and RAPP's factories. 

Others include the Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board, a government-backed 
organisation, which issued Indonesian forestry companies with loan guarantees. 

Swedish firms Korimpeks and CellMark promoted the Indonesian companies' 
interests in Sweden, and paper manufacturers Duni, Klippan Paper and Munkedals 
imported Indonesian pulp, it said. 

ABB confirmed it had made the deliveries to Indonesia, and admitted it did not 
see any problems in doing business with the companies at the time - partly 
because the Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board gave its approval. 

Nordea spokesman Lena Hoeglund-Rosen said an unspecified credit was granted to 
Indah Kiat in the mid-1990s, but added that the bank's policy today was to deny 
loans to companies which 'violate international practice'. 

But last September and this January, when SSNC contacted companies about the 
organisation's report, it said Nordea did not reply to their questions at all 
while ABB maintained it had operated according to Indonesian law. 

The other companies accused of unethical business practices either declined to 
comment or pledged that any past mistakes would not be repeated. 

But some appear unlikely to give up so easily. Currently, a new paper mill in 
the Indonesian part of Kalimantan is planned, with funding from United Fiber 
Systems and China National Machinery, SSNC said. 

CellMark has committed itself to marketing 90 per cent of the plant's acacia 
pulp production over a 10-year period, but according to company vice-president 
Tomas Hedberg, financing for the project is not yet clear. 

Environmental organisations both in Europe and Indonesia have criticised the 
plans, saying the transformation of rainforests into plantations destroys local 
villages and threatens endangered species such as orang utans. 

Another gigantic paper mill in Kalimantan 'would be devastating for the 
rainforest and all its inhabitants', said Mr Karlsson. 
-- AFP