RI, TIMOR LESTE EXPRESS REMORSE OVER DILI ATROCITIES

By Andi Abdussalam           Jakarta, July 15 (ANTARA) - The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste in Bali on Tuesday expressed deep regret over the gross human rights violations committed during and after the referendum that led to the secession of East Timor from Indonesia in September in 1999.          The two governments expressed  their regret in a joint statement signed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his  Timor Leste counterpart  Ramos Horta,  and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in Bali on Tuesday.          Both governments signed the 14-point joint statement after earlier on the day receiving a final report of the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) set up by both governments to collect facts on alleged human rights violations in East Timor and to help restore the relations between the two countries.          "We would like to express our deepest regret over the past violence that has claimed so many lives and material loss," President Yudhoyono said after receiving the final report from the CTF at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Tuesday.          The Indonesian government will study and take follow-up steps with regard to the CTF recommendations and take initiatives to improve the friendship between the peoples of Indonesia and Timor Leste.          Meanwhile, Timor Leste President Ramos Horta said his government would study and discuss the report, and carry out the CTF recommendations. "We agree to carry out the recommendations as far as possible," Horta said.          In response to the recommendations and other initiatives suggested by the commission, a joint ministerial commission will  formulate an action plan.          The report, leaked to several media organisations including AAP in Australia last week, said that Indonesia bore responsibility for the violations, which included mass murder, rape and torture.          It also said that the pro-Indonesia militia groups, the Indonesian government, military and police "must all bear an  institutional responsibility for the  gross human rights violations  against civilians".          But the report said pro-independence groups in East Timor also committed gross human rights violations, including illegal detentions, for which that country also owed Indonesia an apology.          The Commission was opposed to a controversial option of  granting an amnesty to the perpetrators, saying it would not be in keeping with "its goals of restoring human dignity, creating the foundation for reconciliation ... and ensuring that violence would not recure".          In response to the report,  National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Gen Djoko Santoso said he was ready to face the possible consequences, if it was true that the Indonesia-Timor Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship had declared the TNI institutionally responsible for the human rights violations in East Timor.          "I still don't know (about CTF's statement) but if the TNI as an institution is held responsible, I will be accountable. I have just returned from Lebanon, so I have not yet seen the (CTF)'s formulation," he said at the Merdeka Palace last week.          But Santoso did not explain in what way he would live up to his responsibility. "I still don't know what the (CTF's) has actually said. When I have received it, we will consider in what way we will show our responsibility," he said.          In the meantime, retired General Wiranto, who was the TNI chief  during the 1999 East Timor polls, said the East Timor case was already settled and closed.          "All army generals who were suspected of involvement in the East Timor riots had been tried by an extra-ordinary military tribunal and all of them were found not guilty," he said on Tuesday.          He said that should the case be taken to an international tribunal, he should first wait for the decisions of both  governments.          "We leave it to the governments of both nations and we are of the opinion that there were no mistakes at that time and all were done by the book," Wiranto said.          According to the CTF report, the Indonesian military, police and East Timor government officials were at the time involved in every stage of activities that led to gross human rights violations, including murder, rape, torture, extra-judicial arrests, and forced deportation of East Timorese. The pro-independence militia committed acts of violence during the referendum in 1999.          But the report  said that  pro-independence groups in East Timor also committed gross human rights violations - namely illegal detentions - and that state must also it is sorry.          Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said human rights violations in East Timor were the responsibility of the governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste. "Joint responsibility is one of the principles that should be put forward or be taken as  basis for responding to the report of the CTF," the defense minister said in a working meeting with TNI commander Gen. Djoko Santoso on Monday.          In this case, both sides would not look into the past too long in their attempt to find the truth and justice. "So, there should be no words of apology but an expression of deep regret which is to be conveyed by both presidents to their respective peoples," he said.          He said that what was found by the CTF was a matter of restorative justice whose nature was to restore both nations' relations and peoples, so that both sides should not go too far to question matters done by both countries in September 1999.          The CTF report referred to the principle that both sides had committed gross human rights violations in East Timor. "This must be underlined because media reports in Australia mentioned as if it was only Indonesia which had committed human rights violations in East Timor," he said.    (T.A014/A/HNG/A/E002) 15-07-2008 22:38:42

ANTI-GRAFT COMMISSION TURNS ATTENTION TO OIL SECTOR

By Andi Abdussalam

           Jakarta, July 11 (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which has already netted or brought to justice numerous  "untouchables" such as law-makers, public prosecutors and ranking government officials for graft or corruption, is now turning its attention to people in the country's least transparent business, the oil and gas sector.

         The KPK is gathering information on alleged corruption in the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulating Body (BP Migas). Officials at state-owned oil company Pertamina and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) must also get ready to be summoned by the KPK.

         "We are now at the stage of collecting information regarding  BP Migas," KPK's deputy chairman for prevention, M Jasin, was quoted as saying by Republika daily on Monday.

         The KPK is to begin its investigations in the oil sector by verifying official data on  oil lifting that have been produced through  calculations  considered not transparent. It will investigate alleged mistakes in the mechanism of oil lifting and reporting the proceeds of oil and gas sales.

         KPK Deputy Chairman Haryono said on Thursday it was believed the results of the official oil and gas lifting  calculations so far were  contradictory to the facts on the ground. The calculation of oil and gas exploration proceeds were not carried out in the oil drilling fields but in Jakarta by a number of government agencies.

         According to  Haryono,  the results of the ecisting calculation mechanism  could well be erroneous  because those who had done the calculations did not know the conditions in the field, including data on exploited natural wealth.

         The results of calculations made in Jakarta must match the amount of oil and gas pumped up in the mining locations.  For this purpose, the KPK and the BP Migas agreed to set up a technical team.

         The team will be charged with the task of evaluating various oil and gas management practices, particularly those related to practices so far considered not transparent.

         Haryono said the team would work to solve various technical problems, among others those related to the lifting mechanism, supervision mechanism which was viewed to be still weak and improvements in the asset management mechanism.

         BP Migas Chief Priyono said he hailed the KPK's efforts to improve management in the oil and gas sector. "We are ready to carry out improvements," he said.

         The KPK's initiative to improve management in the oil and gas sector was based on a report by the State Audit Board (BPK) which cast doubt on the veracity of t the results of the oil and gas lifting calculations.

         According to Republika, the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has received a copy of a BPK audit report which indicated misappropriations of oil and gas proceeds amounting to Rp120.3 trillion. The money was not recorded as  state revenue and was spent not through the state budget.

         The KPK also received a report from ICW about a corruption case in  BP Migas. Therefore,  ICW urged the KPK to investigate the alleged corruption case in the oil and gas sector which had the potential to inflict Rp194 trillion in losses to the state.

         "We have reported the corruption allegations in  BP Migas to the KPK. We call on the anti-graft commission to investigate it immediately," ICW's coordinator for legal and court monitoring affairs Emerson Juntho was quoted as saying.

         The low  income the state received from the oil and gas exploitation activities, according to Emerson, indicated  rampant corruption  in  BP Migas. This was why, there was no transparency in the oil and gas mining production sector.

         "The absence of transparency in the oil and gas production sector is also reflected in the swelling of production costs that have to be borne by the government," Emerson said.

         The head of ICW's data distribution  center, Firdaus Elyas,  said based on data collected from  BP Migas, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) and the Ministry of Finance, the ICW had found indications of irregularities that had happened during the past seven years and could have caused Rp194 trillion in losses to the state.

         The alleged corruption of the state revenues from the oil and gas sector was detected by the ICW when it found that the amount of Indonesia's reported oil production was smaller than that actually produced.

         According  ICW's calculation, more than 16.1 million barrels were lost every year as a result of the difference between the reported amount and the real oil and gas being  produced.

         Therefore, the KPK will carry out recalculation of oil lifting. Of course, the recalculation of oil lifting is hailed by the public. At least oil producing provinces will be informed of the actual amount of oil and gas pumped up from their wells.

         "We hail and support the KPK's efforts to recalculate oil lifting because they will also benefit South Sumatra province," Elianuddin HB, deputy chairman of South Sumatra's Regional Legislative Assembly (DPRD), said on Thursday.

         He said so far South Sumatra had never been informed about how much oil and gas it was producing. With the recalculation by the KPK there would be openness on the amount of its oil and gas produced in the province.

         "Thus, we will know the amount of the revenue the province will receive from the oil production-sharing contracts," he said.

         South Sumatra simply received its share from the production sharing proceeds given by the central government without knowing how much oil and gas was pumped up from its wells.

         "So, we hail the KPK plan to recalculate oil lifting in this province," he said.

         Indonesia's oil production reached its first peak in 1977, at approximately 1.6 million barrels per day, rising from 500,000 barrels per day in just 10 years. Production peaked a second time in 1995, again just over 1.6 million barrels a day.

         But since 1995, production has steadily declined and in 2006 was down to just 1 million  barrels per day, or roughly a 37.5 percent decline, making the country a net oil importer.  (T.A014/A/HAJM/12;50/A/F001) 11-07-2008 12:55:53

PUBLIC NEED TO CONTROL HOUSE FUEL INQUIRY

By Andi Abdussalam

         Jakarta, July 10 (ANTARA) - The public, including students and the media must watch the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Fuel Oil Price Hike Inquiry Committee so that it will carry out its mission effectively.

         Observers feared that the House Committee, whose leadership was inducted on Wednesday about three weeks after the House decided to launch the inquiry, would only serve as a means of politicians to gain popularity and to improve their image amid allegations of corruption that plagued certain legislators.

         "Since the beginning, I have viewed the House inquiry merely as  a political breakthrough for politicians in the House to improve their political parties' images," said Boni Margens, a political science lecturer at the University of Indonesia (UI)'s Social and Political Sciences Faculty, here on Thursday.

         The House's plenary meeting last June 24, 2008, had agreed to use its inquiry right on the government's policy to increase fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent. For this purpose, the House early this month formed an inquiry committee consisting of 50 legislators from all political party factions
    In Boni Margens's view, the DPR's initiative to conduct an inquiry into the government's decision to raise fuel oil prices  appears only to be an effort to improve the images of the legislators and their respective political parties.

         Therefore, the public must seriously supervise the performance of the House's Fuel Oil Price Hike Inquiry Committee so that it would do its task in accordance with the public's expectations.

         "The people must keep a watch on how the Inquiry Committee exercises the House's right of inquiry," Bergens said.

         The inquiry into the government's fuel oil price hiking policy must be carried out transparently. Otherwise, it would only become a "political joke" and fail to provide a critical assessment of the government's policy in managing the country's energy sources.

         "The inquiry would then only serve as a political commodity for politicians in the House. That's why, serious public control is needed," he said. Bergens was afraid the legislators did not really  intend to make a critical examination of the government's policy. "That's why public pressure and control are needed.

         Calls for supervision over the implementation of the inquiry were also made by former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais. He recently asked students and the media to watch the execution of the DPR's inquiry.

         "I call on students and the mass media to keep an eye on the House special committee that will handle the inquiry so the initiative will not evaporate," Rais said.

         Speaking to the press after participating in a discussion on the position and orientation of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members in the global Islamic community, he said, if not constantly watched over by the public, spectacular initiatives in the parliament often lost steam or tapered off before they had achieved anything.

         "I hope the House special committee handling the inquiry will be able to bring to light all the scandals in the oil industry that have so far been covered up," said Rais who is also a former chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the country.

         In the meantime, Zulkifli Hasan, who was named chairman of the House Inquiry Committee on Wednesday, said the committee would work immediately. "I will not waste time. I will hold a leadership meeting tonight," Zulkifli Hasan, said after he was appointed chairman of the committee on Wednesday evening.

         Soon after he was installed as the committee chairman on Wednesday, Zulkifli Hasan directly called a leadership meeting that evening to discuss programs and steps the committee would take.

         In the performance of its mission, the committee has the right to summon anybody involved in the production and distribution of fuel oils to satisfy the House's need to know the reasons for the government's decision to raise the domestic fuel oil prices by more than 28 percent last May.  
    The committee will also study the actual conditions of Indonesia amid the world crude price hikes. Indonesia is actually an oil producing country but its abundant natural resources had yet to benefit the people.

         In this case, the inquiry committee will study the possibility of an oil mafia which harms the interest of the people. It will also investigate alleged ineffective and inefficient management in state-owned oil company Pertamina, as well as possible corruption cases in the company.

         According to Zulkifli, BP Migas (Oil and Gas Regulating Body) will become the focus of the committee's investigation.

         The public has often voiced allegations on the existence of corruption in Pertamina and BP Migas. A finding of the State Audit Board (BPK) indicated that there were deviations in the state oil company.

         The inquiry committee will follow up on the BPK finding. In this regard the inquiry committee will work together with the BPK and the Corruption Elimination Commission (KPK).

         In the face of the inquiry, the government said it was ready.  Minister/State Secretary Hatta Radjasa told the House recently that the government was "not afraid" in the face of the inquiry.

         The government raised domestic fuel oil prices in May as part of its efforts to reduce its increasing fuel subsidy amid the upward trend of the global crude prices which were hovering at US$120 a barrel, which could raise the fuel subsidy to more than Rp125 trillion, placing a heavy burden on the state budget
    "We are ready... the government will respond to it," he told reporters.

          The government will duly explain its position and reasons for raising the fuel oil prices while Indonesia needs 1.100 million barrels of oil per day, whereas its oil production is only 900,000 barrels per day so that it has to import 200,000 barrels per day.

          After all, when the world crude oil price approaches US$150 per barrel, the fuel oil subsidy would reach Rp230 trillion in addition to Rp80 trillion for the electricity subsidy.

(T.A014/A/HNG/B003) 10-07-2008 22:24:04

RI MUST STILL WORK HARD TO ATTRACT SEVEN MILLION TOURISTS

By Andi Abdussalam

     Jakarta, July 8 (ANTARA) - Indonesia which in January addressed an invitation to people around the world  by proclaiming 2008 as  "Visit-Indonesia Year"  still has to work hard to achieve its target of attracting seven million foreign tourists this year.

         On several occasions, Culture and Tourism Minister Jedro Wacik expressed his optimism that the target of seven million of foreign tourist arrivals would be achieved. Yet, on Monday, he spoke  in a 'pessimistic tone' when he said  Indonesia hoped to be visited by about 6.3 to 6.4 million foreign tourists by the end of the year.

         The minister mentioned the 6.3-64 million figures based on his estimate that until the second half of 2008, only 3.1 million foreign tourists had arrived in the country.

          "I estimate that there were about 3.1 million foreign tourist  arrivals in the first semester of 2008.  Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data showed an increase in foreign tourist arrivals by 14 percent per month. So, it is expected that foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia will  reach 6.3-64 million at the end of the year," the minister said here on Monday.

          The figures mentioned by the minister is lower than the target of seven million.

          BPS said earlier that the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in May 2008 stood at 509,000, or an increase by about 10.85 percent compared with a month earlier when the figure was 459.130
     Thus, Indonesia needs to make extra efforts to promote its tourism in order to achieve its target. The minister, however, believed that with hard work, the target could be achieved.  
     Speaking at the opening of a "Sumatra International Travel Fair" (SITF) and congress of the South East Tour Guide Association (SEATGA) in West Sumatra recently the minister expressed optimism that the target of the Visit Indonesia Year (VIY ) 2008 program to attract seven million foreign tourists will be achieved.

         "In January, February, March and April this year, the number of foreign tourists increased by an average of 15 percent compared with the figures in the same months last year," he said.

         He said he was optimistic as the number of tourist arrivals in the January-March period this year represented an increase of 15 percent from the figure on the same period last year.

         If the 15-percent increase also happened for every remaining month in 2008, the number of tourist arrivals for the whole year would be 6.5 million.

         "The balance of 400,000 tourist arrivals is expected to be covered by the many conventions, that have already taken place, are still underway or will be held in Indonesia," he said.

         "Therefore, we all have to be optimistic the target of seven million tourist arrivals will be reached so that we will not have hoped and worked in vain," he said.

          Besides,  the current conditions in the country remain conducive for visitors, despite rallies here and there. The number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia was not affected by the widespread demonstrations against the fuel oil price hikes nor by the increasing political temperature ahead of the 2009 general elections.

         "Foreigners are now even saying Indonesia is an interesting country," the minister said.

         The current situation must be maintained so that conditions in Indonesia remained conducive for the Visit Indonesia Year 2008. After all, the terrorism issue which  disturbed the country in the past several years has also died out.

         Owing to the relatively stable security conditions in Indonesia, the United States has lifted its travel warning on Indonesia.

         Presidential Spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said that the lifting of a US travel warning on Indonesia is expected to help increase the number of US tourist arrivals in the country in 2008.

         "The lifting of the travel warning recently is something we have been awaiting for a long time," Dino Pati Djalal said in response to the lifting of the US travel warning that had been in force since 2000.

         He said before the US government officially revoked the travel warning, its embassy in Jakarta had notified the Indonesian government on Washington's plan to lift it.

         A number of US prominent figures had visited Indonesia such as Bill Gates and director of computer processor Intel Corporation Craig R Barret.

         At the end of 2007 in Bali, Indonesia also successfully hosted the UN Convention on Climate Change which was attended by a number of heads of state and prominent figures from various parts of the world.

        "The whole world now knows that Indonesia is secure. As for the threat of terrorist activity, it can happen anywhere," Djalal said.

        According to H. Sarbini, chairman of the Tourist Friendship Forum (Fosipa), the United States' decision to lift its travel warning to its citizens to visit Indonesia, provides a big opportunity for tourism authorities in the country to resume luring American and European tourists to come to Indonesia.

         "The United States is a symbol of the world's community. Thus, if Americans are now free to go to Indonesia, Europeans will  automatically be encouraged to follow suit. The lifting of the travel warning will also provide an opportunity and will psychologically restore the confidence of Indonesian tourism authorities," he said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/S012 ) 
(T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 08-07-2008 21:03:44

RI TO EXECUTE FIVE MORE DEATH ROW CONVICTS

By Andi Abdussalam      Jakarta, July 4 (ANTARA) - After carrying out the execution by firing squad of two Nigerian drug offenders last week, Indonesian public prosecutors are planning to implement the death sentences of  five more convicts this month.          The plan to execute the five convicts who have been on death row for years is part of the Indonesian authorities' efforts to speed up the execution of 57 convicts, some of whom have been languishing in jail since 1994.          Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes AH Ritonga said  the execution of the five death row convicts would be carried out by higher prosecutor's offices as soon as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) had served them the required notices.          "We are now about to serve notices on  higher prosecutor's offices in a few regions where death row convicts are being held,"  Ritonga said on Wednesday.          Two Nigerians who had been on death row for dug offenses, Samuel Iwuchukwu Okoye and Hansen Anthony Nwaolisa, were executed in Central Java last month. Okoye was sentenced to death by the Tangerang district court in Banten on July 5, 2001 for smuggling  3.8 kg of heroin into Indonesia through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.          Nwaolisa  was given the death penalty by the same court on August 13, 2001 for circulating 3.2 kg of heroin in Indonesia.          The convicts  facing  execution this month had all exhausted the existing legal avenues for either a judicial review of their sentences or for clemency  so there were no legal reasons any more for  public prosecutor's offices to delay their executions.          "The executions will be carried out in order to eliminate doubts among the public about law enforcement in Indonesia," Ritonga said as quoted by 'Republika' daily on Wednesday.          One of the five death row convicts is Dukun AS alias Ahmad Suraji, a man sentenced to death for murdering 42 women in North Sumatra in 1984-1994 - crimes he committed to enhance  his 'magic' powers as a shaman.          The North Sumatra Higher Public Prosecutor's Office has started an administrative process for preparations to execute him.          Dukun AS  was sentenced to death on April 27, 1997 by the Lubuk Pakan district court in Deli Serdang. His appeals in higher courts and subsquent application for clemency were all rejected.          Gortap Marbun, chief of the North Sumatra Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, said Wednesday the Attorney General's Office (AGO) had already served notice to carry out Dukun's execution.          However, the exact time for the execution had not yet been set as the office had first to complete certain administrative procedures, coordinate the execution plan with the police, court and the law and human rights ministry.          The office also still had to prepare the convict himself and his family for the execution, Marbun said.          Tubagus Maulana Yusuf is another convict on death row from Rangkasbitung, (Lebak), Banten. The Rangkasbitung district court sentenced him to death last March for murdering eight people also to increase the 'supernatural' powers he allegdly possessed. Tubagus, however,  did not appeal his sentence nor did he ask for clemency.       The other death row convicts are Rio Alek Bulo, Sumiarsih and Sugeng. Rio Alek Bulo was sentenced to death for murdering noted lawyer Jeje Suraji in Purwokerto, Central Java, on January 21, 2001. His appeal for a judicial review was rejected on March 25, 2008.          Sumiarsih and Sugeng were sentenced to death by the Surabaya district on January 19, 1989 for  premeditated murder. They killed Marine Lt Col Purwanto, his wife, his two children and his nephew. Their appeals were rejected in 1995.          The government last month announced its plan to speed up the executions of convicts who had been on death row for a long time.  Most of the death row convicts were sentenced for drug offenses.          According to Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, there were 57 drug offenders on death row whose executions would be sped up by his office.          According AGO records, a total of 72 people were sentenced to death for narcotic drug offenses in the country  since 1994. Five of them had been executed, one  died a natural death, five had their sentences commuted to life, and onother one  to 15 years imprisonment.          The five convicts already  executed  were Nigerians Anthony and Okoye (executed last month in Central Java), Ayodya Prasad Chaubay, Saelow Prasad and Namsong, who faced a firing squad in Medan, North Sumatra, several years ago.          The relatively large number of  convicts on death row was attributed to the fact that most of them had  filed requests for  judicial reviews or applied for clemency but had yet to receive official replies. Meanwhile, there was legally no deadline for the judicial or government officials concerned to give their replies to the convicts' requests.       For example, death-row convicts  Hunphery Ejke alias Doctor, Mgs Zaenal Abidin and Rahen Agbaje filed for judicial reviews of their sentences years ago but have until today yet to receive official answers.     (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 04-07-2008 18:33:29

RI TERROR SUSPECTS LINKED WITH SINGAPORE NETWORK

By Andi Abdussalam   

       Jakarta, July 3 (ANTARA) - The suspected terrorists who were arrested by the Indonesian anti-terror police in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday and Wednesday were said to have links with a terrorist network in Singapore.

         According to National Police Chief Spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira, the suspected terrorists had links  particularly with the group of Mas Slamet Kastari (45) in Singapore and wanted top Malaysian terrorist Noordin M Top.

         Noordin is the most wanted terror suspect in Indonesia after Dr Azhari, a Malaysian bomb expert associated with Jemaah Islamiyah, who was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in 2005.

         Abubakar said  the South Sumatra networks were known to have links with the network in Singapore after police arrested suspect HM (35) in Sekayu sub district, Musi Banyuasin district, South Sumatra on June 28, 2008.

         Kastari, a Singapore national,  and escaped from a jail on  Whitley Street in Singapore some time ago. He was put in the Singapore jail in 2006 and had been there until he escaped, on charges of planning terror attacks. He planned an attack on government buildings, airport and foreign representative offices in Singapore in 2001.

         He was also once detained in Indonesia in 2003 for an immigration law violation. After walking free in 2006, he was extradited to Singapore.  
    "The police arrested MH after they obtained a tipoff from Singapore that he was involved in terrorist activities in that country," Abubakar said.

          After obtaining information from MH, police arrested nine other suspects. Police until Thursday still refused to name the suspects, but made public their initials. They were  among others AT alias M alias K alias I (35), SG alias S alias R (22), AM alias Z (26), W alias Y alias R (35), AG alias G (36), HP alias H (25), AS alias AH alias UG (42), SA alias AB and AMT alias AT.

         Abubakar said in the investigation of the South Sumatra networks, police discovered links with members of Noordin M Top networks who were arrested in Semarang and Wonosobo (Central Java) in 2006.

          In Central Java several years ago, police arrested a number of suspected terrorists who were believed to have hidden Noordin M Top.

          MH, the police chief spokesman said, admitted he had assembled bombs and trained other suspects how to assemble them. AT was believed to have assembled bombs, planned to explode 'Bedudel' Cafe in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra in 2005 and tortured clergyman Joshua in Bandung in 2005.

          "He was found to be in possession of firearms of S and W colt types with six bullets," Abubakar said.  SG and AM  also had assembled bombs. Besides possessing home-made bombs, suspects W, AG and HP meanwhile had planned to explode the Bedudel cafe and maltreated Jushoa. AS and SA were also charged with helping  MH to go into hiding.

          Pieces of evidence seized  from the South Sumatra network included four bombs, one colt revolver, 10 bullets of 28 mm caliber and 18 computers.

          The exhibits  were  found and confiscated on July 1, 2008 in a house on Jl Papera, Palembang, South Sumatra. On July 2, the following day, police confiscated other evidence, among others, 10 home-made bombs, 9.1 kg of black powder and eight detonators.

          Police also confiscated potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, a mixture of carbon and potassium nitrate, home-made pistols and various types of cable rollers.

          But police are not yet able to reveal their next targets. Abubakar said that police up to now were still studying the locations of targets where the terror suspects had planned to carry out  bomb attacks.

          In their efforts to uncover further evidence and suspects, police in South Sumatra are still detaining one suspect there for interrogation.

          "In order to trace  other suspects and evidence, police are still keeping one suspect in Palembang  while others have been put in the Kelapa Dua Mobile Brigade detention house in Depok, a satellite town south of Jakarta ," Abubakar said.

          The nine terror suspects arrived at the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Headquarters' detention center at 11 am Thursday under heavy guard.

          With their heads covered in hoods, the nine men arrived in a bus guarded by members of the police's anti-terror detachment riding in three other vehicles - one in front of, and two behind, the prisoners' bus.

          After going through a checking-in procedure, the nine suspects were led to a cell located in the back part of a block housing the Mobile Brigade Headquarters' internal affairs unit.  
     None of the police officers at the Mobile Brigade Headquarters or the prisoners' guards was prepared to make any comments to reporters covering the happening. They only said they did not know anything about the prisoners.

    

(T.A014/A/HAJM/A/S012)
21:25/...   )  



(T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 03-07-2008 22:18:41

INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT READY TO FACE HOUSE'S INQUIRY

By Andi Abdussalam              Jakarta, July 2 (ANTARA) - While the House of Representatives (DPR) is forming a special inquiry committee on the increased domestic  fuel oil prices, the government says it is ready to face the parliamentary investigation.          "The government is ready to face the inquiry," Minister/Sate Secretary Hatta Radjasa told the press on the sidelines of a House plenary meeting on Monday.          The House's plenary meeting last June 24, 2008, had agreed to use its inquiry right on the government's policy to increase fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent. For this purpose, the House on Tuesday formed an inquiry committee  consisting of 50 legislators from all political party factions.          Minister Hatta Radjasa who attended Tuesday's House plenary session, said the government was "not afraid" in the face of the House's initial steps to conduct an  inquiry into the government's decision.         "We are ready... the government will respond to it," he told reporters.         The government is now doing "various things" to prepare itself for the House inquiry. But he said he was not sure whether President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would personally come to the House when summoned for the inquiry.         The government would duly explain its position and arguments for raising the fuel oil prices in light of the reality that Indonesia needed 1.100 million barrels of oil per day, whereas its oil production was only 900,000 barrels per day so that it had to import 200,000 barrels per day.         "So, having to import 200,000 barrels per day, it is logical that every time the world oil price increases, the country will feel the impact. But the higher fuel oil prices are not only related with the world crude price but also with the fact that the fuel oil subsidy is 70 percent enjoyed by the rich as the subsidized fuel oils are used by cars and for non-automotive purposes so that the subsidy scheme has to be changed," Communication and Information Minister Mohammad Nuh said meanwhile.         The government raised domestic fuel oil prices in May as part of its efforts to reduce increasing subsidy amid the upward trend of the global crude prices which were hovering at US$120 a barrel, which could push up fuel subsidy to more than Rp125 trillion put a heavy burden on the state budget.          President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday the government recently increased domestic fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent as it had estimated the world crude oil price would reach US$110-US$120 per barrel.          But now the president expressed concern as the world crude continued to soar reaching US$150 per barrel. He said if the world oil price rose to US$140-US$145, the fuel oil subsidy  would reach Rp205 trillion, not to mention the subsidy for electricity which would increase by Rp80 trillion to  Rp300 trillion.           When the world crude oil price approached US$150 per barrel, the fuel oil subsidy would reach Rp230 trillion in addition to Rp80 trillion for the electricity subsidy.          Despite all these reasons, calls for the implementation of the inquiry continued.  Former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais asked even students and the media to watch over the implementation of the DPR's inquiry.          "I call on students and the mass media to keep an eye on the House special committee that will handle the inquiry so the initiative will not evaporate," Rais said.          Speaking to the press after participating in a discussion on the position and orientation of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members in the global Islamic community, he said , if not constantly watched over by the public, spectacular initiatives in the parliament often lost steam or tapered off before they had achieved anything.          "I hope the House special committee handling the inquiry will be able to bring to light all the scandals in the oil industry that have so far been covered up," said Rais who is also a former chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the country.          Ario Bimo, a member of the Indonesian Democractic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) faction in the House explained the significance of the House's initiative of inquiry.          "It means the House now has the authority to investigate the government's policies on the management of fuel oils, including its policy of raising the fuel oil prices by 28.7 percent last May," he said.          The investigation, however, should not necessarily lead to the impeachment of the president. Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said the House of Representatives (DPR)'s decision to use its right of inquiry was not related to a presidential impeachment because under the amended Constitution a House inquiry was not a valid ground to move for impeachment.         "Regarding impeachment, the Constitution is clear in stating that under the presidential system, it can happen only when the president has committed one or more of certain serious offenses. So, we need to differentiate between rules in the old Constitution and those in the amended Constitution," Mallarangeng said at the State Palace.         The offenses for which a president could be impeached included treason, corruption, nepotism and collusion (KKN), bribery, and serious criminal acts, he said.         House Speaker Agung Laksono concurred with Andi, saying the use of DPR's right of inquiry on the government's fuel oil price policy will not lead to President Yudhoyono's impeachment.         He said a president could be impeached only if he was guilty of one or more of a number of serious offenses such as a criminal act, corruption or treason. His guilt should also be proven by the Constitutional Court.         After all, the government is now ready to face in the inquiry. "The government is now waiting for the House's notification while preparing the data that might be needed to answer the questions," Communication and Information Minister Mohammad Nuh said.     (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 02-07-2008 22:26:01