No subject

Dr Lesley McCulloch’s family describe her as a champion of the underdog ever 
since she went to school at Eastbank Academy in Glasgow - quite literally, in 
one respect, bringing a string of dogs home from local animal refuges. 

Her first love was drama, which she studied in Birmingham. Her interest in 
academia began with studies through the Open University. She moved to Aberdeen 
at the end of her marriage and went straight into the second year of a degree 
in political science. 

An interest in Asian politics led to a doctorate at the University of Canberra. 
She also spent time researching in Bonn and London before taking a post as a 
lecturer at the Centre of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania. 

Meanwhile, she wrote a number of controversial academic papers on the flow of 
small arms to Indonesia and corruption there, as well as informed articles for 
an English language newspaper in Jakarta which brought her to the attention of 
the Indonesian authorities. 

McCulloch insists she was on holiday when arrested in Aceh last September, but 
she was held in jail and then sentenced to prison by a court in December. 

She is released today and plans in March to take up a research post in 
Melbourne. With colleague Damien Kingsbury, she will assess the extent of the 
criminal links of the Indonesian military, the TNI, and ways to bring the 
military under greater civilian control. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laksamana.net
Regions: Ambon Laskar Reports 
February 9, 2003 09:22 PM

Laksamana.Net - Intelligence officials in the XVI/Pattimura Military Area 
Command (Kodam) are reported to be investigating reports that hundreds of 
Laskar Mujahidin 'troops' have entered Ambon by way of a ferry operated by 
state shipping line PT Pelni Indonesia. 

“I have received a report about this rumor and I have ordered my intelligence 
and territorial staff to coordinate with the police to get to the bottom of 
it,” Kodam XVI/Pattimura Commander Maj-Gen Djoko Santoso told Antara in Ambon 
on Wednesday (5/2/03). 

“If it is true that Laskar Mujahidin have entered Ambon, the TNI Indonesian 
Armed Forces and the police will take very firm action in accordance with the 
applicable law,” Djoko added. 

He said action would be conducted in coordination with the TNI and police along 
with the Laskar Mujahidin so an agreement would be reached, because the 
security situation in Maluku had been rapidly improving. 

The commander, who has witnessed a significant decrease in violence during his 
term in the hot seat, is being transferred to head the Jakarta Military 
Command. 

His replacement is Brigadier General Agustani, who was moved from Division II 
Kostrad in Malang, East Java. Brig. Gen. Agustani will shortly take over the 
command in Maluku. The change was part of a routine military placement. 
*****
Poso Arms Trial Begins 
The trial of Christian leader and head of the Crisis Centre of Tentena, a 
Christian enclave in the Poso region of Central Sulawesi, Renaldy Damanik, 
began on Monday (3/2/03). Damanik is charged with violating article number 55 
of the Criminal Code on the possession of guns and ammunition. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 10, 2003
Policeman's career in danger after shooting 

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufiq Ridha has pledged to 
dishonorably dismiss a member of the elite Mobile Brigade unit for causing the 
death of a civilian after randomly opening fire in the troubled regency of Poso.

Provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto said on Sunday that 
Pvt. Jeck Cuan would soon be fired, saying his crime had tarnished the police's 
image. 

"That action is not tolerable. A harsh measure will soon be taken," Agus said, 
quoting Taufiq, as reported by Antara. 

Agus said the Central Sulawesi Police chief had coordinated with his East 
Kalimantan counterpart, Insp. Gen. Winarto, to decide on the penalty for Jeck. 

Jeck was one of the Brimob members who were sent from East Kalimantan to help 
restore peace and security in Poso. 

Agus said that Winarto, in principle, had agreed with the decision to dismiss 
the suspect. 

Jeck was blamed for firing shots at the intercity bus as it passed through 
Kayamanya village on Thursday. 

The incident killed at least one passenger, identified as Sulaiman, and damaged 
the rear window of the bus plying the Palu-Luwuk route. 

Sulaiman, 33, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died. His body was 
brought to his hometown of Tuilli village in Banggai regency for burial. 

Dozens of local villagers tried to take revenge against Jeck, but police rushed 
him to their station for protection. 

Apart from the dishonorable discharge, Jeck is also facing a trial for the 
crime. 

Head of the Central Sulawesi military police Comr. Masru Tubo said they had 
questioned seven witnesses, including the bus driver, over the shooting 
incident. 

"Based on the testimony from those witnesses, Jeck Cuan was drunk when he 
opened fire," Tubo said. 

He added that Jeck and another soldier, Pvt. Jumali, had left their checkpoint 
post in Poso and went to Kasiguncu in the subdistrict of Poso Pesisir. 

In Kasiguncu, both Jeck Cuan and Jumali were offered to join a group of young 
men who were drinking. The two got drunk later. 

"Unfortunately, he (Jeck) opened fire without any reason," Tubo added. 

Both Jeck and Jumali are currently being detained at the Central Sulawesi's 
military police office in the provincial capital of Palu. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
February 10, 2003
Money, guns destroy protected forest in Central Kalimantan 
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan

Purnawarman, a forest ranger, has felt powerless in facing the illegal loggers 
syndicate backed by unauthorized security personnel, which has been operating 
in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, home to thousands of 
species of flora and fauna.

He has tried many things to stop the illegal logging but within four years, 50 
percent of the 400,000-hectare protected forest has been stripped bare, leaving 
the area barren, without any intervention by relevant authorities. 

"The illegal logging has been going on for four years. I have complained about 
it and have reported that the syndicates have involved security personnel, but 
so far, no measures have been taken to curb it," he said to a group of 
journalists who, along officials from the Ministry of Forestry, visited the 
national park. 

For example, Purnawarman said that in 2001, the forest ranger office in 
Pembuang Hulu was raided by an unidentified mob who protested the confiscation 
of the logs they had stolen from the national park. 

The local people did not help them because they were afraid of being similarly 
terrorized. 

Yayat, another forest ranger, and others shared the same view. They said they 
could not do anything to halt the illegal logging, because the illegal loggers 
were backed by timber tycoons and security personnel. 

"We're alone here and running short of facilities and logistics," said Yayat, 
who has been serving the Park for over 20 years. "It's not strange that many 
forest rangers give in to the temptation of looting the forest to survive." 

The forest rangers' fear and powerlessness is a reflection of the government's 
inability and failure to manage protected forests across the country. The 
government has allowed the development of a road dividing the Leuser National 
Park in Aceh, and has allowed mining companies to operate in several natural 
reserves and protected forests. 

According to local administration officials, the unchecked illegal logging in 
the protected forest is supported by timber businessmen who harvest the logs 
and employ the soldiers to protect them from forest rangers. 

The forestry law carrying harsh sanctions against illegal loggers is not 
enforced effectively because of the absence of strong commitment. 

Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry carries a 10-year jail sentence and/or a fine of Rp 
5 billion (US$555,000) for those who cut down forests illegally and for those 
who back illegal logging activities. 

The government launched a special operation called Wanalaga from Feb. 1 to Feb. 
28 this year to crack down on illegal logging, which involves the Ministry of 
Forestry, the National Police and the Indonesian Military. 

But analysts believe such an operation will not be effective as in the 
remaining 11 months of the year, the illegal loggers will continue their 
activities without any serious actions against them. 

The operation has so far detained four suspected perpetrators and confiscated 
around 14,000 cubic meters of logs, which could, according to one estimate, 
reach a value of Rp 2 billion. 

But the confiscated logs are too small compared to the total logs smuggled from 
the Park. The government has suffered over Rp 70 billion in annual revenues 
from the illegal logging in the protected forest. 

The irony is that those backing the illegal loggers, mostly locals, are still 
untouchable. 

Yayat went on to say such an operation would be effective if the dozens of 
sawmills near the forest and the timber-related firms in Java that received 
illegal logs from the park were closed down. 

Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation I Made Subadia 
said the government was serious in fighting illegal loggers through various 
programs, including active measures to shut down the operations. 

However, he admitted that there were difficulties for the forest rangers in 
helping to eliminate the illegal logging syndicates due to the constant fear of 
attacks. 

"Therefore, such an operation to crack down on illegal logging was required to 
give a kind of shock therapy to illegal loggers and to encourage forest rangers 
to protect the Park," he said. 

Besides, he said, the police would deploy more police officers to help monitor 
the Park after the Wanalaga operation. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Age (Melbourne)
Aussies deliberately targeted in Bali
February 10 2003

Confessions by two alleged Bali bombers revealed Australians were deliberately 
targeted as allies of the US as victims prepare to sue al-Qaeda's money men. 

Two of the suspects, Samudra and Muklas, revealed Australia's involvement in 
East Timor's independence and its strong support for the United States made 
Australians a prime target. 

But Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty warned that sentencing 
the Bali bombers to death would only further their cause. 

Samudra, the alleged field commander of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in the region, 
listed 13 reasons for the October 12 attacks that killed nearly 200 people, 88 
of them Australian, according to transcripts obtained by the ABC. 

Samudra named Australia and England as being close allies of the "barbaric" 
United States. 

He said the terrorist attack was also payback for 200,000 innocent men, women 
and children killed in Afghanistan by the US and its allies. 

"Australia has taken part in efforts to separate East Timor from Indonesia 
which was an international conspiracy by followers of the (Christian) Cross," 
was the third reason listed by Samudra. 

But Samudra's lawyer said his client had been set up and he could help 
authorities track down the real terrorists. 

The confessions are to be aired on the ABC's Four Corners program tonight. 

The details came as some of the Bali survivors and relatives of victims planned 
to sue al-Qaeda's alleged money men in a class action alongside the families of 
September 11 victims. 

Six Australian families from Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne joined relatives of 
about 900 September 11, 2001 victims who are seeking $US185 trillion ($A313.5 
trillion) in damages. 

Mr Keelty said sending the Bali bombers to their death would make them martyrs. 

"If you think about the motivation and the end gain for some of these 
terrorists, I mean by prosecuting them and giving them the death penalty might 
actually be serving them up exactly what they need to be, martyrs," Mr Keelty 
told the program. 

Another suspect, Muklas, said in his confession that he was thankful the blasts 
caused many casualties. 

"I felt grateful because in my opinion the planned mission and objective had 
been achieved because there were many casualties among American allies 
including Australian citizens." 

Muklas also confessed a regional JI cell, known as Mantiqi 4, covered Irian 
Jaya and Australia and was headed up by Abdul Rahim, an Indonesian-born 
Australian. 

Abdul Rahim's home was raided by ASIO last October but he and his family are 
believed to have recently left Australia. 

Four Corners will also reveal new evidence to show there were two suicide 
bombers involved in the attack, not one. 
-- AAP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney Morning Herald
Keelty warns on Bali 'martyrs'
By Stephen Gibbs and Sarah Crichton
February 10 2003

Imposing the death penalty on the Bali bombers would answer their wish to be 
treated as martyrs, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty has 
warned.

With several of the suspects having declared their readiness to die, Mr Keelty 
says the trial could end up furthering the terrorists' aims.

"If you think about the motivation and the end gain for some of these 
terrorists, I mean by prosecuting them and giving them the death penalty might 
actually be serving them up exactly what they need to be, martyrs," he told the 
ABC's Four Corners in an interview to be shown
tonight.

Mr Keelty's warning came as the Australian families of Bali bombing victims 
joined a multi-trillion dollar class action taken out by lawyers working for 
representatives of those killed in the September 11, 2001 New York and 
Washington terrorist
attacks. 

Six families of the 88 Australians murdered at Kuta have joined the suit naming 
banks, charities and individuals in the Middle East and United States as having 
financed al-Qaeda operations and being responsible for their loved ones' 
deaths. 

The Bali action, being run by the law firm Suggs, Kelly & Middleton of 
Savannah, Georgia, will be linked with the existing suit taken out by the 
families of victims of the September 11 attacks. 

Victorian man David "Spike" Stewart, whose son Anthony was killed in the Sari 
Club, was initially sceptical of the action but since meeting the lawyers 
behind the suit has joined their claim in the hope of punishing his son's 
killers. 

"I just think that if we take the money off them they're not going to have the 
opportunity to give money to terrorists again," Mr Stewart said last night. 

"That's the main thing. It's nothing to do with money for us, it's just to hit 
them where it hurts, in their pockets."

Michael Hourigan, once a South Australian policeman who became a barrister and 
went on to investigate war crimes in Rwanda, is the Australian legal counsel 
for the case. 

Mr Stewart and the five other claimants have been told they will not be asked 
to pay any money up front, and likewise will receive nothing without a legal 
win, to be decided by the District Court of Washington DC. 

So far, about 900 relatives of World Trade Centre murder victims are listed in 
the US end of the action against alleged international terrorist financiers. 

Other family members of Balibombing victims can register their interest in 
taking part in the action on www.baliclaims.com. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney Morning Herald
Terror attack families to sue Al-Qaeda financiers
February 10 2003

Some of the survivors and relatives of those killed in the Bali bombings will 
sue al-Qaeda's alleged money men in a class action alongside the families of 
victims of the September 11 attacks in the United States. 

Six Australian families from Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne joined the action 
after consulting American law firm Suggs, Kelly & Middleton at the weekend.

Five of them had relatives who perished in the blast and the sixth had suffered 
serious injuries.

The Australian plaintiffs will join relatives of about 900 September 11, 2001 
victims who are seeking $US185 trillion ($A313.5 trillion) in damages.

Lawyer Michael Smith said the action is against wealthy Saudi individuals, 
banks, corporations and Islamic charities implicated in the financing of al-
Qaeda.

"The objective is to bankrupt terrorism by exposing those who finance terror 
and stripping them of their assets," Mr Middleton said in a statement.

"In this way, the action can help prevent it happening again."

Sari Club bombing survivor Jake Ryan, of the Gold Coast, and Dave Stewart, who 
lost his son Anthony in the October 12, 2002 blast, are among the Australian 
plaintiffs.
-- AAP 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Sun-Herald
East Timor names first ambassador to Indonesia
February 9 2003

A Protestant minister became East Timor's first ambassador to its former 
colonial ruler Indonesia, the Indonesian foreign ministry said yesterday.

Arlindo Marcal, who studied theology in central Java, began his tenure by 
meeting Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Jakarta on Friday.

Marti Natalegawa, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, said key bilateral 
issues to be addressed include border disputes, compensation for formerly 
Indonesian-owned property in East Timor and how to reimburse the retirement 
funds of up to 30,000 East Timorese who worked as Indonesian civil servants.

"We hope the ambassador can help to work out these leftover issues," said 
Natalegawa. He said Indonesia has yet to appoint its envoy to East Timor.

East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Al-Katiri is scheduled to visit Indonesia in 
March, Natalegawa said.

Al-Katiri has said he would also bring up security issues during his visit, 
such as the return of pro-Indonesia militias from West Timor - an Indonesian 
province neighbouring East Timor.

East Timor was a Portuguese colony before Indonesia invaded in 1975 and ruled 
it, often brutally, for 24 years.

Pro-Indonesia militias ravaged East Timor when its people voted for 
independence in an August 1999 referendum.

The country gained full independence last year after a period of transitional 
rule by the United Nations.
-- AP