Posted on 11/10/2002 7:55:57 AM PST by knighthawk
KUALA LUMPUR, November 10 (IslamOnline) - The Muslim leader accused of terror links with the al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Abu Bakar Bashir risks deportation to Malaysia, Singapore or the U.S. if he is stripped of his Indonesian nationality, sources said Sunday, November 10.
Singapore and Malaysia have in the past urged Indonesia to arrest Bashir for his alleged role in terror activities on their soil. Basyir is accused by Singapore of being the spiritual leader of the JI while Malaysia has him high on the terror list allegedly for connections with the Malaysian Mujahidin Movement (KMM).
The U.S. is also after Bashir, who is the chief of the Indonesian Mujahideen Movement (MMI) and has placed him on top of International terrorists sought by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The Indonesian authorities are considering stripping him of his citizenship based on evidence he once held a Malaysian passport while he was in exile in Malaysia.
Indonesia is finding it hard to proceed with the prosecution of Bashir, sources close to the aging leader told IslamOnline on Sunday, adding that he risks being sent to Malaysia as soon he is stripped of his nationality.
Prosecuting Bashir in Malaysia or Singapore would be smoother and less risky though it still exposes the Indonesian government to possible backlash from Bashir supporters and other Muslims in the country.
Indonesia is seriously studying the case of his citizenship since Indonesian police raised the issue after officials found that he could have violated Indonesia’s immigration laws during the 1985-1999 periods when he lived in Malaysia.
Bashir is being detained on charges linking him to a spate of church bombings in 2000 and a plot to kill President Megawati Sukarnoputri before she becomes acceded to the presidency. The charges are based on allegations made by an increasingly obscure personality, Umar Al-Faruq, whom Indonesian officials earlier tagged as a CIA recruit.
JI suspects arrested in both Singapore and Malaysia during the past year for plotting attacks against American or Western targets have fingered Bashir as their leader, a Singapore based newspaper said on Sunday.
A National Police spokesman, Senior Commissioner Prasetyo, told Straits Times of Singapore Bashir was a fugitive from Indonesia for 14 years. “Based on what he did during that time, his citizenship could be revoked.'
The spokesman said Bashir failed to report his whereabouts to Indonesian embassies or consulates, which was a clear violation of the law. Bashir is also accused of having once held a special Malaysian passport provided to Indonesian citizens living in Malaysia for a certain number of years.
A close contact to Bashir said the Islamic leader would not have been the only Indonesian citizen now living in Indonesia who would have had a different nationality while living in exile. “Thousands of Indonesians left the country to live in exile during the iron fisted years of General Suharto,” the contact said.
“They too should be stripped of their citizenship if the Indonesian government wants to be fair and firm. These people held different nationalities or Permanent Residence permits while living abroad. Many re-entered Indonesia using special passes submitted by Malaysian or Singaporean authorities,” he told IslamOnline.
Bashir did not expect this issue to come up suddenly, his entourage said, adding that it would be worrisome if he was deported from his own country.
One of his lawyers said on Friday, November 8, Indonesian Muslims should not believe any report containing statements from Bashir, as the cleric would have 'taken a vow of silence and would not speak to any foreign interrogator', Tempo magazine reported.
Deporting Bashir would save the government a lot of trouble with serious political risks involved. Student movements are already gearing up to fight for human rights in case Bashir’s case is not dealt with fairness, IslamOnline reported last week.
Indonesian officials also believe Bashir has too much grassroots support here within Indonesia and the impact of a long trial could be detrimental to the government.
However Bashir’s camp warned that his possible deportation will altogether result in undermining the Indonesian government eventually.
OH... that's just great....
They're going to have to face this sooner or later. Put the army on the street and get it done.
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