[Kabar-indonesia] 6 Terrorism Reports: Nothing to Lose; SBY Invokes Glory Days; Howard-Bashir

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

6 reports: 

- The Advertiser (Adelaide): Just Nothing to Lose 
  [Malaysia and Indonesia's contrasting economies 
  highlight that religious ideology is less to blame 
  for terrorism than the grinding daily struggle to 
  survive.]

- Indonesia president urges Muslims to 
  fight terrorism

- Howard ignores Indon pleas over Bashir

- Anti-US Handbook At Alleged Bali Bomber's 
  Home, Court Told

- Malaysia says no evidence of Thai insurgent 
  activities on border

- Scholars, Politicians In Indonesia To Discuss 
  Terrorism (JP version previously sent)

The Advertiser (Adelaide)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Opinion

Just Nothing to Lose

By Maria Moscaritolo

Malaysia and Indonesia's contrasting economies highlight that
religious ideology is less to blame for terrorism than the grinding
daily struggle to survive.

SOUTH-EAST Asia may be a frontline in the war against terror but the
message from Malaysia is "nothing to see here".

The Malaysian Government says its terrorism risk is under control,
almost non-existent.

In Indonesia, the opposite is true. It can see where the problems lie
but the developing nation is too cash-strapped, too overwhelmed by
competing priorities, to conquer them.

Both countries are on the same page when it comes to singling out the
prime motivation that makes their young men engage in terror acts. It
is not religious idealism. It is poverty.

Despite being the home country of Jemaah Islamiyah such terrorists as
Azahari (who died during a police raid last year) and elusive bomb
maker Noordin Mohammad Top, Malaysia says there is no significant
terrorism threat within its borders.

Hence, its focus is on maintaining domestic stability and keeping a
determined watch on its own turf to keep out poisonous extremists. It
is less concerned, however, with ensuring terror activities do not
flow over the border into neighbouring countries.

Last week, 20 small bombs reportedly were smuggled from Malaysia into
southern Thailand, which is in the grip of separatist insurgency.

"As far as terrorism in Malaysia is concerned, we are on top (of the
issue)," says Hussin Nayan, director general of the Southeast Asia
Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism.

"I'm not saying there are no homegrown problems. There are problems
but they are well-contained.

"There's no suicide bombers in Malaysia and we hope to keep it that way."

As with other officials across Malaysia and Indonesia, he objects to
any link between his religion of Islam and the acts of groups like JI.
He says the spread of radicalism is an economic issue. Most terrorists
are "bad Muslims" with "confused minds" living on the fringe of
society. They are "made through neglect" not ideology, he says.

So, Malaysia's overriding priority is social stability and ensuring
some economic balance among its diverse Malay, Chinese and Indian
population and pushing forward on economic development (with a plan to
be a fully developed nation by 2020).

It also spends heavily on education, devoting millions annually on
scholarships. Up to 20,000 Malaysian students attend Australian
universities each year and three institutions - Monash, Swinburne and
Curtin universities - have opened campuses there.

"That is one factor why we believe terrorism is not a problem, because
education brought opportunity," says Mr Nayan, the former Malaysian
High Commissioner in Canberra.

"We do all this simply to protect ourselves."

The United States' 2005 Country Reports on Terrorism noted the
region's efforts to make the environment inhospitable for terrorists,
among them Malaysia's strengthened border controls and the "strong
steps" Indonesia's law enforcement and justice systems took against
JI.

Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono goes against the grain to
argue JI's newly-released spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir is a
"spent force" but he acknowledges Indonesia remains a breeding ground
for potential terrorists.

This is especially when terror cells are prepared to use the lure of
money for the poor families of boys willing to act as suicide bombers.

Mr Sudarsono estimates there are 110 million Indonesians, about half
the population, who have yet to attain a decent, minimum standard of
living.

"This is a nation largely still inhabited by many poor people, young
aged, they have no hope for improvement within their lifetime perhaps,
so it's bound to be easy for some of the radical groups to appeal to
these young people," he says.

"Many of these people are just desperate young people looking for
recognition through this false promise of martyrdom or heroism in the
eyes of their family. They have nothing to lose but their lives.

"So, since they have no hope to improve their livelihood within their
lifetime, this is what sometimes attracts them."

He doles out some daunting statistics: 36 million living below the
poverty line (on less that $2.70 a day), 10 million unemployed and 65
per cent aged under 30, and 60 million waiting fruitlessly for
welfare.

This is bad news on many levels. As the Country Reports on Terrorism
notes: "Corruption, poverty, a lack of civic institutions and social
services, and the perception that law enforcement and legal systems
are biased or brutal are conditions that terrorists exploit to create
allies or to generate a permissive operating environment."

A KEY region in the "fight" is Java, where such terrorists as Hambali
and Amrozi grew up, and one of the most densely-populated spots on the
planet. Compounding the poverty there have been recent natural
disasters - last month's deadly earthquake and the eruptions of Mt
Merapi during harvest season.

Mr Sudarsono says Indonesia is striving to calm the social instability
which bubbles under the surface and build better foundations for its
struggling economy. While many of its public institutions remain weak,
its central bank is gaining some global recognition for its slow but
steady work in the cumbersome task of transforming macroeconomic
policy.

The insidious problem of corruption, however, still is seen by outside
observers as a huge "handbreak" on the economy.

So, for Indonesia, the struggle is very long-term and the terror
threat on Australia's doorstep will not fade anytime soon.

* Maria Moscaritolo visited Malaysia and Indonesia on a fellowship
with the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre.

-------------------------------------

Indonesia president urges Muslims to fight terrorism

By Achmad Sukarsono

JAKARTA, June 20 (Reuters) - Muslims should help solve global problems
including terrorism and reach out to the rest of the world if they
want to be understood, Indonesia's president said on Tuesday. At an
international conference of Muslim scholars, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
invoked the glory days of Islam in the first millennium, when Muslims
were at the forefront of scientific and cultural advancement, and told
participants to put forward moderate views.

Another speaker, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, took
a different tack, criticising the media for depicting militant groups
like al Qaeda as typical of Islam.

Yudhoyono, who has dealt with several deadly attacks perpetrated by
Islamic militants in recent years, said: "The spectre of terrorism
still threatens many of our communities. There is still a lengthy list
of conflicts within the Muslim community and even between Muslim
communities and non-Muslims."

"The Muslim world must be firm and united in the global fight against
terrorism. The best way for the ummah to deal with the globalised
world is by becoming an active part of it," he said, referring to
Islamic society.

Once seen as weak in combating terror, Indonesia has prosecuted
hundreds of militants linked to terrorism, including cleric Abu Bakar
Bashir whose release last week sparked protests from Australia and the
United States.

In that case, Jakarta argued Bashir had served his time as set by the
courts for involvement in the conspiracy behind the 2002 Bali blasts
that killed 202 people, blamed on the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah
network.

Malaysia's Badawi told reporters after meeting Yudhoyono that he could
understand Bashir's release as Jakarta thought "there were no grounds
why he needs to be held".

ISLAMOPHOBIA

Yudhoyono also said Muslims have been facing insults and ignorant
behaviour from other groups but the response should be the will to
understand each other.

"We also can do more to fight the wave of Islamophobia that seemingly
is on the rise. It is as important to ensure that we tell our
non-Muslim fellows what we want them to understand as it is to ensure
we listen to what they want us to understand."

Malaysia's Badawi in his conference speech suggested the media were to
blame for some of the misunderstanding of Islam.

"The international media might have fallen prey to the plottings of
the international terrorists who orchestrate their cruelty in order to
capture the attention of the widest possible audience."

"Al Qaeda which preaches hate and intolerance has been very
incorrectly presumed as speaking on behalf of Muslims," Badawi said,
urging the media to promote voices of conciliation and rapprochement."

He also said: "We must cease to confuse military occupation with the
fight against terrorism," calling for a ceasefire in Iraq and the
departure of foreign troops.

The conference was organised by Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest
Muslim group, which promotes moderation.

More than 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million population are Muslims
and most are generally moderate in their views. However, the country
has a radical fringe that is loud and growing in visibility,
attracting ample coverage from the media. (With additional reporting
by Telly Nathalia)

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Howard ignores Indon pleas over Bashir

Rob Taylor and Paul Osborne

JAKARTA June 20 (AAP) -- Prime Minister John Howard says he won't be
warned off by Indonesian MPs from seeking tougher action from Jakarta
against Abu Bakar Bashir.

Indonesian political figures have said Australians should stop
"fixating" on the firebrand cleric, who was released from jail last
week despite giving his blessing to the Bali bombings.

Mr Howard will urge Indonesia to freeze Bashir's assets and restrict
his movements, during a summit next week with President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono to repair relations strained by Canberra's decision to grant
visas to 42 Papuan separatists.

Mr Howard has written to Dr Yudhoyono ahead of the meeting in Batam to
remind him of Indonesia's obligations under United Nations Resolution
1267, which requires sanctions for UN-listed terrorists including
Bashir.

The chairman of the Indonesian parliament's powerful foreign affairs
committee, Theo Sambuaga, said the two leaders should stick to asylum
issues and Papua, as Bashir was an internal matter for Indonesia.

"We should reject it if Howard interfered in Bashir legal matters," Mr
Sambuaga told Indonesia's official Antara news agency.

"All must respect Indonesia's legal process."

Mr Howard said he would still be raising the issue.

"I don't normally take advice on what I raise with foreign heads of
state from chairmen of foreign relations committees," Mr Howard told
reporters in Canberra tonight.

Another committee member, AS Hikam, who visited Australia in recent
days to discuss the Papua row, said Bashir's case was a "red-line"
issue and Canberra should stay clear of it.

"Australia should not be fixated on Bashir problems," he told AAP.

"Sensitive issues like that should be avoided by discussing wider
areas, and in that way we will not be bothered by superficial
problems.

"There is a red line in those."

Mr Hikam said if Australia wanted to be constructive, it should use
its influence with the United States to press Washington to grant
Indonesian investigators access to jailed Indonesian terrorist chief
Hambali, which could help Jakarta obtain fresh evidence to use against
Bashir.

"We have a lack of evidence and Australia has it, or at least has
access to America, so please help us," he said.

Hambali, the former operations commander for Jemaah Islamiah, is in US
custody at a secret location.

Indonesian officials say that without access to him they cannot obtain
information about the backers of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed
202 people including 88 Australians. It was the worst terrorist attack
against Australians.

Mr Hikam said Australia's relationship with Indonesia needed to
broaden beyond Bashir and into wider counter-terrorism cooperation.

He said his commission would welcome a new security treaty to be
signed between the two countries.

The treaty, which replaces a defence pact junked in 1999 following a
rampage by Jakarta-backed militia in East Timor, extends security
cooperation to people smuggling, counter-terrorism, illegal fishing
and cooperation between police and the military.

"We really welcome this. Previously, it was only military, but now
it's broader," Mr Hikam said.

Indonesia's Defence Minister, Juwono Sudarsono, has promised the
treaty would not interfere with Indonesia's non-aligned movement
membership, while Dr Yudhoyono insisted on a clause in which Australia
recognised Indonesian sovereignty over Papua.

Mr Howard yesterday said that signing the agreement was not "an
immediate foreign policy aim", underscoring expectations that signing
the agreement could take months, given the rocky state of relations
between the two neighbours.

-------------------------------------

Anti-US Handbook At Alleged Bali Bomber's Home, Court Told

BALI, Indonesia (AP)--A handbook for Islamic warriors seized from the home of 
one of the alleged 2005 Bali bombers encouraged attacks on Americans, a 
witness told a court Tuesday. 

Jayadi, a police forensic expert who goes by one name, was speaking at the 
trial of Abdul Azis, 30, one of four suspects in the Oct. 1 attacks that killed 
20 people on the tourist island of Bali. 

He told the Denpasar District Court that a Mujahadeen handbook, or manual for 
Islamic holy war, sanctioning "jihad attacks against Americans" was among the 
documents found by investigators. 

The four suspects are accused of sheltering Noordin Top, believed to be a key 
leader of the al-Qaida-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a 
string of deadly bombings in Indonesia that have killed more than 260 people 
since 2000. 

Some are accused of helping hide Noordin or concealing information about the 
2005 attacks on three crowded Bali restaurants, while others are charged with 
making or transporting the explosives that were used. 

If found guilty, they could face the death penalty. 

-----------------------------------------

Malaysia says no evidence of Thai insurgent activities on border

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (AFP) -- Malaysia said Tuesday it has not found
any evidence that its territory is being used as a base for Thai
insurgents to launch operations in the neighbouring kingdom's restive
south.

"We are monitoring the area around the border so that there will not
arise any suspicions that they are using our territory to launch any
operations or to use our territory as a military training base," said
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Najib, who is also defence minister, was speaking after meeting Thai
army commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

A spate of more than 70 bomb blasts in Thailand's mainly Muslim
southern region since last Thursday has claimed two lives and wounded
30 people. The separatist unrest has killed more than 1,300 people
since January 2004.

Although Thailand said Monday that there was no evidence linking
Malaysia to the bombing incidents, its interior minister Kongsak
Vantana hinted again at "outside" involvement in making the bombs.

Asked to respond to the suggestions that Malaysia is being used as a
base for bomb-making, Najib said: "We don't respond to those
allegations".

He said Malaysia will offer its cooperation to Thailand to ensure
peace on both sides of the border but "we cannot get involved because
these are internal affairs of their country."

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi criticized Kongsak's 
comments.

"Thailand when something happens quickly points fingers at Malaysia,
that something is the work of Malaysians," he told a press conference
in Jakarta where he was attending a conference of Islamic scholars.

"Malaysia is never involved. Our country is peaceful and orderly. Why
should Malaysian citizens create trouble in another country? There's
no use in doing that," he said.

He said Malaysia would prefer to see peace prevail in neighboring
countries because any trouble could also affect his country.

The uprising in Thailand's south has become a major irritant to
bilateral relations, triggering several spats between the two
governments.

Kongsak's suggestions of Malaysian involvement triggered an angry
response from Malaysia last week.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid fired back at Bangkok and said that
"finding a scapegoat to justify what has happened will not help in any
way to ease the tension in the restive south."

-----------------------------------------

Scholars, Politicians In Indonesia To Discuss Terrorism

JAKARTA, June 20 (AP)--Scholars and politicians from 53 countries gathered in 
Indonesia Tuesday to discuss the roots of terrorism and challenges facing 
Muslim followers in Western societies. 

Around 300 delegates took part in joint prayers at the start of three days of 
talks in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. 

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in an opening speech that 
the "Muslim world must be firmly united in the global fight against 
terrorism," and spoke out against rising Islamophobia in non-Islamic countries. 

Among participants were Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and 
Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed of Jordan, the personal envoy and special adviser to 
King Abdullah II. 

E.U. Secretary General Javier Solana and Pope Benedict XVI were to address 
the conference in video messages. 

Other topics are the role of poverty in Middle East conflict resolution, 
Western perspectives on Islam and the gap between the Christian and Islamic 
worlds. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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