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Indonesian Muslim Cleric Abu Bakar Bashir leaving a hospital in Solo
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent
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.
