The Jakarta Post, April 20, 2004
Boyce denies U.S. interference in RI legal process
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph C. Boyce refuted on Monday allegations that he
had intervened in Indonesia's legal affairs in the case of jailed cleric Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir.
"Our position on Ba'asyir is clear, I don't see there is an intervention, we are not
demanding or prescribing a particular outcome to the government of Indonesia. It is an
Indonesian matter," Boyce told reporters during a briefing at the embassy on Monday.
"We are confident that the Indonesian authorities can handle this in an appropriate
way," he said.
The ambassador said the U.S. respects Indonesia's legal system and his country
cannot influence the legal proceedings here. But the U.S. can comment on the
outcome of Ba'asyir's case as Indonesia frequently expresses its stance on
developments in other countries.
Commenting on the outcome of Ba'asyir's case, Boyce said his actions did not
constitute an intervention in Indonesia's legal system.
"It is a normal thing in diplomacy to give an opinion or comment on a particular
incident like Ba'asyir's case," Boyce said.
He also said that he had not received a summons from the Indonesian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs as yet to clarify his actions in Ba'asyir's case.
"I would be very glad to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify or discuss about
Ba'asyir's case," Boyce said.
Ministry spokesman Marty A. Natalegawa said on Friday that the U.S ambassador's
efforts to influence a number of the country's top leaders in order to extend Ba'asyir's
detention could be interpreted as interference in Indonesia's legal process.
Koran Tempo earlier reported that Boyce had met with Muhammadiyah Chairman
Achmad Syafi'i Ma'arif to solicit his help in lobbying some Indonesia's high ranking
officials, including Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Supreme Court Chief Justice
Bagir Manan not to release Ba'asyir.
Muhammadiyah is the Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization.
Boyce said that his meeting with Ma'arif was private in nature.
"But the idea that White House would be sending me on a secret mission to Ma'arif
is, frankly speaking, very unrealistic because my job is to represent my country's
position," he said.
When asked whether the U.S. government had evidence of the involvement of Ba'asyir
in alleged terror attacks, Boyce said that the U.S. was cooperating with the
Indonesian authorities.
"This is a legal matter and is still ongoing, we have tried to be cooperative as best we
possibly can," he said.
The National Police named on Friday Ba'asyir as a suspect in various terror attacks
across the country over the past few years.
With his new legal status, Ba'asyir will be charged under Law. No. 15/2003 on
terrorism which carries the maximum punishment of death.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno said that the police had
gathered evidence, including testimony of witnesses in Singapore and Malaysia over
the involvement of militant organization Jamaah Islamiah, of which Ba'asyir is the
spiritual leader.
Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a UN-listed terrorist organization has been blamed for the
deadly October 2002 bomb attack in Bali and the August 2003 JW Marriott Hotel
bombing in Jakarta.
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