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| Southeast Asia |
| Hardline Militant Groups Warned To Abide The Law |
| 2006-06-09 |
| Jakarta, 9 June (AKI/Jakarta Post) - The Indonesian government has issued a warning to members of hardline groups in the country: You will face the full weight of the law if you promote unruly radicalism or are involved in acts of terror. "Acts promoting anarchy, threats of terror, or moves to take the law into one's own hands are classified as crimes, which will be processed under the country's existing laws," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sutjipto said Thursday. "We have never tolerated any wrongdoing, regardless of who or what groups are implicated in it. Our (the government's) stance is clear, that we must enforce the supremacy of the law and equality before the law," he said. Widodo chaired a meeting on political, legal, and security affairs on Thursday to discuss the presence of groups promoting violence and radicalism in the country. "I know that law enforcers at all levels have faced a certain amount of pressure from various parties when they deal with these groups, and I am assuring them now that the government will provide protection to them when they carry our their duties," the retired four-star Navy admiral said. Present during the meeting were Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto, Home Minister M. Ma'ruf, and expert advisor to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry Ramli Hutabarat. "We put respect for people's freedom foremost in establishing mass organizations as stipulated in Law. No. 8/85 (on the freedom to organize). But if these (organizations') activities disturb public order, we do have a right to disband them," Ramli said. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Well, that ought to just about take care of it. Case closed, moving on. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-09 12:01 |