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INFID News The 13th INFID Conference Statement and press releases of
the 13th INFID Conference are now available at http://www.infid.be/conference/statement_press_releases.htm. INFID Related Issues Debt/CGI The Indonesian government and the
multilateral donors – the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and
the International Monetary Fund – will hold an interim Consultative Group on
Indonesia meeting on November 1, 2002. The meeting aims to discuss the
government’s final review on the 2003 budget draft as well as the likely additional
cost needed to help the national economy recover from the impact of the Bali
bomb attack, the Co-ordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Dorodjatun
Kuntjoro-Jakti said. The ADB has recently approved a
three-year lending strategy for Indonesia and will lend US$600 million to 1.2
billion a year to the country between 2003 and 2005. The exact amount loaned
to Indonesia "will depend on various factors, including the state of
structural reforms, the level of government action to reduce poverty, strengthened
governance, and the fiscal capacity of local governments," the bank
stated. From the IMF quarter, IMF
Asia-Pacific senior adviser Daniel Citrin has recently said that it is
possible for the seventh Indonesia letter of intent to the Fund to be signed
this year. He said the Fund was still discussing the specific issues IMF
wants the government to do before the completion of the seventh letter with
the government and that the Fund did not insist that all things be finalised
this year. Successful completion of the review by the IMF board would allow
Indonesia to draw a further US$360 million from its US$5 billion loan
facility. The Indonesian government is also
expected to sign an agreement with Spain and Germany to reschedule debts. The
agreement follows the signing of similar agreements earlier this month with
the US and French governments, Jannes Hutagalung, a senior official at the
office of the chief economics minister, said on Oct. 23. The signing is a
follow-up of the Paris Club III agreement under which a debt of US$61.44
million to Spain and €338.34 million to the German government will be rolled
over. Meanwhile, in the wake of the
deadly bombing in Bali, Japan said on Oct. 26 she had decided to provide
US$26 million in economic aid to facilitate reform in the country. Sources: AA 25/10, WSJ 25/10, APA
25/10 General News Bali Bombings Indonesian police released
sketches on Oct. 30 of possible suspects in the Bali bomb blasts, saying they
could be part of a group comprising as many as 10 people. The sketches showed
three men, whom the police described as 20, 27 and 30 years old but gave no
names. Police said the sketches were based on information from witnesses at
the blast scene as well as other data. Police have named no groups or
individuals as suspects that mastermind the bombings, but did not deny,
though also did not confirm, reports that linked the blast with two
Indonesian generals. An anonymous intelligence source disclosed on Oct. 26
that two generals, one active three-star army general and one retired
three-star police general, had mysteriously visited Bali on the day of the
carnage and left the next day. Many have said that disgruntled, active or
retired, might have had a hand in the bombing. Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto ruled out active military involvement in the blast. "I'm
sure active armed forces members were not involved. I'm convinced there
aren't any," Sutarto said but added that "if we're talking about
retired military officers, then it's beyond my ability to control them". Statements, press releases and
media coverage on the Bali bombings: http://www.infid.be/bali_tragedy.htm. Sources: Reuters 30/10, JP 28/10, AA
31/10 Antiterrorism Law Activists urged the House of
Representatives (DPR) on Oct. 29 to reject government regulations in lieu of
laws on terrorism and instead amend the Criminal Code in a bid to provide a
stronger legal basis to fight terrorism. Speaking during the meeting with
House Commission I on defence, foreign and political affairs, the activists
said that Indonesia must not apply the regulations because they were against
democracy and prone to human rights abuse. The meeting was attended by noted
lawyer and human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis and activists from the
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Center
for Electoral Reform (Cetro), and INFID. Read "Indonesia’s
Antiterrorism Decree A threat To Basic Rights", a press release of
TAPOL, an UK-based human rights organisation, on the antiterrorism regulation
at: http://www.infid.be/tapol_pressrelease.html. Source: JP 30/10 Bashir’s Arrest Indonesian police on Oct. 28 ended
a week-long stand-off with militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, storming into
his hospital room in Solo and flying him to Jakarta for questioning over a
string of bombing across the country. Bashir’s supporters fought with the
police to prevent Bashir’s removal. Eight officers and 10 supporters were
injured. Bashir blames foreign pressure for
his detention. "I am certain that there was pressure from abroad, the
demand of foreigners, especially from the US government," he said,
commenting on his arrest and detention. Bashir swore an oath last week that
he did not know or have any ties with alleged al-Qaeda operative Omar
al-Faruq, as police have accused him. Many foreign government believe
that Jemaah Islamiyah, which is thought to be al-Qaida's south-east Asian
operational arm and allegedly headed by Bashir, is responsible for the Bali
blast. Many observers fear a violent backlash if Mr Ba'aysir is put on trial. Sources: JP 29/10, ST 29/10, AFP
31/10, TG 29/10 Regional News West Papua Jakarta co-ordinator of the
Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy for West Papua (Els-Ham Papua
Barat) said on Oct. 28 that a gang of unidentified men raided its Jakarta
office. The Papuan human rights group has accused the military of involvement
in an ambush that killed two Americans. Alberth Rumbekwan said that the men
broke down the fence and seized documents, describing the men as having
"military characteristics". During the raid, the men seized
documents and computer diskettes containing Els-Ham reports on August ambush
that killed two Americans and an Indonesian near the Freeport mine in Papua. They
also seized Els-Ham reports on the murder of Papuan independence leader Theys
Eluay. A spokesperson for the Indonesian
Armed Forces denied all knowledge of the incident. Meanwhile, police have told senior
Indonesian military officials that they believe Indonesian soldiers were
responsible for the Aug. 31 ambush, according to a senior military officer
and a high-ranking intelligence officer. However, I Made Pastika, who until
recently headed the investigation as Papua police chief, denied that he had
said the army was responsible for the attack. Instead, he said he briefed
Maj. Gen. Sulaiman, the Indonesian military police commander, and an
assistant to the army commander on the investigation’s findings and let them
draw their own conclusions. But the high-ranking Indonesian officers and
Western sources said that Pastika has said privately that police believe the
military carried out the attack. Sources: JP 28/10, WP 27/10 Abbreviations AA AFX-Asia Stichting TitanE |
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