Nov 7 2002 – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has called on Australia not to over-react in its campaign against terrorism in the aftermath of the Bali bomb attack.
Megawati did not specifically mention recent raids against Indonesians living in Australia in comments to Indonesian reporters Tuesday, November 5, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Phnom Penh.
But she said that Canberra should not be too excessive in its anti-terror campaign, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the state Antara news agency as saying Wednesday, November 6.
“Let’s not go overboard. We Indonesians always treat foreigners proportionally,” Megawati said.
Heavily-armed Australian agents raided homes of Indonesian Muslims last week in a nationwide hunt for suspected members of terrorist groups following the October 12 bombing on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, which killed more than 190 people.
In apparent support of Megawati’s criticism, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said Tuesday, that “Australia is just as unsafe as ASEAN countries.”
“In fact at the moment, Australia is particularly unsafe for Muslims because they are likely to have their houses raided and I see pictures of doors being broken which I don’t think is essential, so people are today exposed to danger wherever they may be,” Mahathir said.
The Indonesian foreign ministry has described the raids as “heavy-handed” and “reckless.”
Jakarta has warned that the way Australia treats Indonesians suspected of links to terrorism could threaten cooperation in the fight against the crime.
Indonesia and Australia agreed to set up a joint intelligence and investigation team to catch the Bali bombers and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization will soon set up a liaison office in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, Australia mainstream Muslim community lashed out Wednesday at extremists Islamic militants, saying they are hurting the people they claim to represent.
In an open statement issued at the start of Ramadan to extremists of the world, major Islamic groups from around Australia condemned their actions as contrary to the message of God.
“We have felt the hurt of your ways and we want you to understand that what you have done was never in our name, or the name of any religion or God,” said the statement.
It was written by the Islamic Council of Victoria and endorsed by other groups, including the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and Islamic councils from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The statement has been widely distributed amid reports of Muslims increasingly complaining they are being abused and vilified in the aftermath of the Bali bombings in which more than 190 people died, half of them Australian, on October 12.
Australia’s anti-terror crackdown, in which the homes of a number of Indonesian Muslims have been raided by the Australian intelligence agency, has also focused renewed unwelcome attention on the country’s Islamic community.
“Never in our name or in the name of any religion or God, can you ever be aggressive, unjust or hurt innocent people,” the statement said.
“There is no political, religious, racial, ethnic or ideological position that can justify victimizing the innocent and the defenseless.
“Tragically, the very communities you claim to represent have also been further victimized because of backlashes by those that have been hurt and angered as a result of your aggressive and criminal actions.”
It acknowledged everyone had a right to self-defense, justice, security and peace, but said self-defense never justified aggression or the random killing of unarmed and innocent people.
“These methods are against every religious teaching in spite of what you may believe,” the letter said.
“These methods will only promote repulsion towards you and your cause and encourage good people to gather against you.
“We appeal to the common sense and hearts of all the leaders of the world and ask that they do all that is in their power to ensure that justice and peace prevail and that injustice, oppression and human rights abuses are eradicated.”
The letter urged other peace-loving people to speak out against terrorism.
“There are no bystanders,” it added.
“Silence is perceived as a form of consent. So let those people who seek peace and justice further amplify the message and express it repeatedly in different ways and languages.”