The Sydney Morning Herald, June 27, 2006 - 3:54PM
PM denies Australia ignored over Bashir
Prime Minister John Howard has brushed off suggestions Indonesia paid little
attention to Australia's demands that it place heavy restrictions on militant cleric Abu
Bakar Bashir.
Mr Howard met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Indonesia's
Batam island, where they tried to resolve lingering tensions over a range of issues,
including Bashir's release from jail.
Bashir, spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiah accused of giving blessings to the 2002 Bali
bombings, was freed from jail after serving just 25 months.
Mr Yudhoyono told Mr Howard during Monday night's meeting that while legal avenues
had been exhausted against Bashir, Indonesia was prepared to take pre-emptive
action to halt terrorism.
That included close surveillance of any militants suspected of plotting further attacks.
Mr Howard had written to Mr Yudhoyono earlier this month, expressing Australia's
anger over Bashir's early release and asking him to invoke the conditions of a United
Nations resolution branding Bashir a terrorist.
Australia wants Indonesia to freeze Bashir's assets and restrict his access to travel
and weapons. There have also been calls for the closure of his religious school on the
island of Java if it agitated jihad against the west.
No mention was made by either leader of whether Indonesia was prepared to take
action on these fronts.
Mr Howard said the Bashir matter was discussed extensively in his meeting with Mr
Yudhoyono.
"I repeated to him what I said in my letters," he told Sky News.
He denied that Indonesia had largely ignored Australia's calls for tough sanctions
against Bashir.
"I think if you read what he said, that's not quite right," Mr Howard said.
"If you read his acknowledgement of how deeply we feel about the behaviour of that
man (Bashir) and if you bear in mind his declaration that Indonesia would, in its fight
against terrorism, take whatever action were needed to pre-empt terrorist behaviour."
In his written reply to Mr Howard on June 21, Mr Yudhoyono said Indonesia
understood the anguish of Australians over the Bali bombings.
He went on to say that Indonesia would not allow itself to become "a sanctuary, a
hiding place or a staging point for terrorists to launch their operations against
Indonesia or any other country".
Mr Howard said the bilateral meeting with Mr Yudhoyono would not be the end of
Australia's push for tough action against Bashir.
"We will continue to argue for the things that were contained in my letter," he said.
Labor was not satisfied by Mr Howard's reassurances.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said he was disappointed by Mr Howard's efforts,
accusing him of caving in to the Indonesians.
"We have got to, on someone like Bashir, we have got to keep the pressure up," he
said.
"It's not good enough for John Howard to write a strong letter and then walk back from
it.
"It seems to the Indonesians that John Howard is a man of strong views, weakly
held."
© 2006 AAP
Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.
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