The Indonesian
government and the House of Representatives on Thursday agreed to ratify the
Asean Convention on Counterterrorism (ACCT), which will allow for a greater
cooperation among member countries in dealing with the threat of terrorism.
"The Convention has more to offer compared to other international
conventions of its kind because it facilitates rehabilitation programs for
terrorists, fair legal treatment for suspected terrorists and respect
territorial sovereignty and integrity,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said
during a hearing with House Commission I overseeing security and foreign
affairs.
The bill, which is expected to be passed by a House plenary session
next week, will provide the foundation for mutual legal assistance and
extradition in combating terrorism.
Marty said that the leaders of 10 Asean countries signed the convention
on May 27 last year, while six Asean countries ratified the convention last
year.
"The bill will go into effect here as soon as we ratify it. It
will greatly benefit Indonesia’s attempts to counter terrorism,” he said.
The ACCT was drafted in Cebu, the Philippines, in January 2007 during
the 12th Asean Summit, following the Asean Declaration on the Joint Action to
Counter Terrorism and the Declaration on Terrorism, adopted at the Asean
summits in 2001 and 2002 respectively.
Considered a one-of-a-kind regional agreement on terrorism, the
convention mandates Asean countries to cooperate in the prevention of
terrorism, the enforcement of law and the rehabilitation of former terrorists.
The convention also requires that Asean countries share information and
data from their intelligence agencies, stop the flow of funds to terrorists,
cooperate in investigations and trials for terror attacks and extradite
terrorist suspects.
Indonesia would be the seventh country to ratify the convention,
following Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and
Vietnam. Three other countries — Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar — have not yet
ratified the convention.
Lawmaker Tri Tamtomo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI-P) said that the party supported the ratification because it would affirm
Indonesia’s global commitment to comprehensively prevent and counter terrorism.
"We encourage the government to improve all necessary
infrastructure ahead of the implementation of the convention. We must also
prepare the human resources, especially to set up rehabilitation programs for
terrorists because it’s not an easy job to do,” he said.
Lawmaker Al Muzzammil Yusuf of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said
that in ratifying the convention the government must strive to protect the
country’s national interests.
"We must guard against the interests of Western countries, which
might use their diplomatic ties with some of Asean members to interfere with
our counterterrorism efforts and neglect the convention. Nevertheless, I am
confident that the convention will greatly help counterterrorism efforts in the
country,” he said.
In addition to the ACCT, Indonesia has also ratified other
international conventions supporting counterterrorism efforts, including the
Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, the
Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, the Convention
for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation, the
International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, the
Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the Protocol for the
Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Aviation
and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing.
Margareth S. Aritonang
The Jakarta Post
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