Baysir speaks in a Jakarta courtroom before being sentenced

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

Jakarta , September 5 (IslamOnline.net) - Informed sources in Jakarta indicated that the U.S. and its allies in the region - Australia and Singapore - were twisting the arms of the judiciary in Indonesia to extract a longer and harsher jail term against Abu Bakar Baysir, an Islamic leader jailed over controversial charges.

A source within the diplomatic circles in Jakarta told IslamOnline.net Friday, September 5, that the U.S. may officially protest against the minimum sentencing that Baysir was handed Tuesday.

Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard criticized the Indonesians over the 4 years jail sentence handed over to Baysir for his alleged involvement in treason against the government of Megawati Sukarnoputri while the same judge said in earnest Baysir was not guilty of treason altogether.

The failure by the prosecution to prove any of their accusations against Baysir has fuelled the anger of both the U.S. and Australia, which is said to have sent a note of protest to Megawati condemning the way the aging leader’s trial was handled, said the source to IOL.

Singapore too is said to have voiced its frustration over the findings of the court and the judgment rendered by the Chief Justice who said there were no evidence that Baysir was indeed the leader of the so-called Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

The U.S. had earlier requested that Baysir be jailed for 15 years or more in order to ensure that he is kept in jail for the rest of his life. Baysir is now 64 and has a fragile health and his followers said they fear he may not survive long in jail.

The diplomatic source, working for a Middle Eastern Embassy in Jakarta said he could confirm that the U.S. will call Megawati or had already informed Megawati of their discontent over the 4 years jailing of Baysir. “They want 15 or 20 years, even harsher sentencing since they really want Baysir behind bars,” said the diplomat to IOL.

Among all the countries in the region, only Malaysia hailed the jailing of Baysir as a proof of the commitment by Jakarta in the war against terrorism. It said the jailing of Baysir was enough proof of Jakarta ’s commitment to handle "terrorism" on its soil.

However, this view is not shared by the prosecutors and by the enemies of Baysir, said the diplomat who defended the judgment as fair since the Indonesians did know how to deal with the Baysir issue after all.

The Megawati regime is said to be under intense pressure to open new cases against Baysir and to reject the appeal by his lawyers against the 4 years sentencing.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Singapore authorities are said to be actively looking for evidence, even a single word of proof from Hambali (In Arabic, Hanbali), arrested last month in Thailand or any other arrested suspects to nail Baysir for a longer jail term.

Hambali is said to be the lieutenant of Baysir and Amrozi and Imam Samudera, both accused of involvement in the October 12^th Bali bombing are allegedly his henchmen in the JI formation.

Foreign intelligentsia, including those from Australia, the U.S. and Singapore have blamed Baysir for leading the JI and for being in direct connection with the al-Qaedah, allegedly the group of Saudi Millionaire Osama bin Laden.

Baysir is also said, according to the foreign spies to have been involved in major "terror" plans in the South East Asian region is in their eyes, the direct contact of Osama and the al-Qaeda here.

However, not a single thread of evidence has been offered by the intelligence agencies to support their claims, insisted the diplomat who said he had these information from a foreign intelligence group currently collecting data on Baysir’s group in Indonesia , Malaysia and Australia .

He added that in a new case to be opened soon in order to keep Baysir busy fighting for his innocence, prosecutors in Indonesia will be asked to put forward claims by a mysterious Yemeni national named Omar al-Faruq, who is currently in the possession of the CIA and living in hiding in Washington .

A news story released by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) Friday, September 5, said Indonesian prosecutors were looking for fresh evidence after the questioning of Hambali by U.S. officials to open a case against Baysir.

Hambali, a member of the Mujahideen in Indonesia said to IOL, is only a small fry, a simple man fighting for his ideals who was involved with Baysir in some business and in planning a school in Malaysia .

“Other than that, what we know of Hambali is that he is anti-U.S. and will do all he can to propagate anti-U.S. feelings. What we do not know is whether it is true Hambali is really in U.S. custody or not. They have never revealed his picture after his arrest and no one knows where he is,” the Mujahideen leader who is also a member of the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI), said to IOL Friday.

“It is possible that Jakarta will make sure the judges who would listen to the appeal of Baysir in a few weeks time are proverbially pro-regime and would not be sentimental towards the ailing Islamic scholar, said the MMI member Friday.

It is, however, evident that the criticism by the Australians and other nations over the jail sentence of Baysir has divided the Megawati government.

A key minister in President Megawati's Cabinet expressed the sentiment that foreign countries will never be satisfied with Indonesia no matter what it does.

The minister pointed out that Indonesia had done a lot to prove its commitment to combating terrorism, ranging from the issuance of an anti-terrorism law and the transparent and fair trial of Bali bombing defendants.

He is clearly irked with the international criticism over the verdict for Basyir, reported the Jakarta Post Friday.

Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim nation where most of the population are people who only want a peaceful and prosperous life, who are tolerant of their non-Muslim compatriots, said the newspaper.