Abu Bakar Bashir & The Australian Embassy Bombing...

The pathological hatred that Abu Bakar Bashir (Ba'asyir) has for Australia is legendary. But, from where does it stem? Is it a simple hating of all things Western of which Australia is the closest and most convenient outlet for his vitriol dressed up as representing "real" Islam? Or is there something more there? This post is not really seeking to answer those questions.

Nevertheless, perhaps this time the police can make the charges stick with respect to his involvement in the most recent plotting to bomb foreign embassies in Jakarta, hotels, and assassinate high-ranking Indonesian political figures. The plans were at the "early stages" according to police.

Ba'asyir is the spiritual leader of violent anti-West Jihadis hell-bent on destroying anything that does not conform to his very warped interpretation of Islam and the mission of the Prophet Muhammad. What is more intriguing this time around is that having splintered from Jemaah Islamiyya (Islamiah) it would seem that Indonesians and Indonesian interests have become legitimate targets in his war on everything.

The police case seems to rest on Ba'asyir organising and funding the most recent development of "sleeper" cells based in Aceh. The police have said that they have a strong case. The police have said this before, only to see Teflon Ba'asyir have all the charges fall by the wayside like a piece of bacon from a Teflon pan!

Ba'asyir is not representative of Islam nor is he representative of Indonesian Islam. We should not forget that in analysing what has transpired here and what will transpire in any subsequent investigation, prosecution, trial, and sentencing. Ba'asyir's brand of radical, fundamental, and violent Islam harms the perception of Indonesians as tolerant people. Indonesians recognise this,and it will be Indonesians themselves that will show that there is a groundswell for tolerance...

Now, if the government would just be a little more pro-active on disbanding those goons pretending to be righteous Muslims who call themselves the FPI!

Ho hum...

Manohara Odelia Pinot -- Part XII -- Indonesian Embassy in KL Strikes Back

The Manohara (photo) saga continues. For more on this case as written by yours truly, look here.

If the issues in this case, specifically the allegations of rape and abuse, were not so serious then this case would almost be fun to watch. Manohara and her mother, Daisy Fajarina, have been vocal in making claims against just about everyone who they feel have slighted them in some way in this whole affair. The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was no exception.

Mano, as she is now know affectionately, and her mother, have suggested that the Indonesia Embassy deliberately thwarted any attempts to deal with the matter and in fact was pro-active in keeping Mano in Malaysia because they had been bribed by the Kelantan Royal family.

This piece is not about whether the claims are true or false per se, but rather about the legal implications of making them. And, then failing to produce any evidence in support of those claims. It would not be a first for an Indonesian Embassy and the officials that work within to be accused of corruption and to have that proved. However, in the cases where the allegations were made, subsequent evidence was furnished in order to establish guilt, and then convictions were obtained.

The Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia has laid out in chronological order all of the efforts that they undertook with respect to the Mano case. Could they have done more? Perhaps. However, the claim was that they did not do enough. Therefore, this raises the important question of, "legally how much does an Embassy have to in order to protect its citizens who get into trouble abroad, either legal or personal?"

The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has also indicated that it is intending to sue Mano and her mother if the pair of them cannot come up with evidence to prove their claims. It would be interesting to see how the presidential candidates respond to the Indonesian Embassy threatening a victim of alleged domestic violence in this way. Interesting in the sense of whether they jump on board like they did in the Prita Mulyasari defamation case or just try and avoid it like the plague.

Although, the incumbent president has had a say on the matter here (in Indonesian). Nevertheless, it was pretty much run of the mill stuff. Generally, "this is a serious matter"; "better that Manohara talks to the Minister of Foreign Affairs"; and, "I have instructed the ambassador in Malaysia to watch the developments in this case closely."

Kompas has a detailed account of the chronology of events here (in Indonesian).

My personal opinion is that the burden of proof lies with those making the allegations. In this case the burden of proof in terms of proving the two primary allegations, namely: the Embassy did not do enough and that it accepted bribes, lies with Mano and her mother. If they fail to do so, and if one truly believes in the idea that all are equal in the eyes of the law, then Mano and her mother must be subject to the prevailing laws and regulations governing their conduct.

Despite the threats, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has expressed their desire to facilitate any action that Mano and her mother want to take in Malaysia.

A simple defense is truth. Hopefully, Mano and her mother have truth on their side and can prove it.

Manohara Odelia Pinot -- Part VI -- The Demo

You know there just has to be a sixth installment to this saga, and here it is. I should probably warn you that the seventh installment in this series is on the way as well. I still have a long way to go to catch up to Unspun in terms of the number of Manohara related posts. You can check Unspun out here.

For a young woman who has been kidnapped, physically abused, and raped, I am impressed that she has found the time to attend a demonstration at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta to protest Malaysia's not so secret attempts to get their hands on the Ambalat Block. The demo was organized by Laskar Merah Putih. Manohara (photo courtesy of Detik) and Laskar Merah Putih might seem like strange bedfellows, but I guess whatever keeps you in the news and the front page is plausible.

It is interesting that Mano, which seems to be what the local Indonesian press are calling her, has become very political on her return to the Motherland. According to Mano, "Ambalat absolutely belongs to Indonesia and therefore there is nothing to talk about". Sounds like a plan to me. So, how about these kidnap, abuse, and rape charges now that we have Ambalat squared away in Indonesia's favour?

I have nothing negative to say about Mano or her attendance at the demo. Although, it appears that not everyone was happy with her turning up. As I said in the previous post, just about everything she turns her hand to for the foreseeable future is going to be a bit of a circus.

The Mano saga continues. I wonder what is in store for us on Thursday?

Manohara Odelia Pinot -- Part II

Here I was consciously not writing about the Manohara (photo courtesy of R. Berto Wedhatama / JP) case and I have now written two posts in a row on it. It is a fascinating story as there are so many parallel lines to pursue. For example, how much protection do Indonesian Embassies provide to Indonesian citizens resident overseas and in trouble or more specifically the lawyer for the prince withdrawing from the case and then publicly criticizing the intentions of his former client.

On the embassy front, the reality is that embassies will always be criticized for never doing enough. In this case, the Manohara vs. the Prince is in essence a domestic dispute that has escalated allegedly into violence. I would argue that the violence is extreme if it involves slashing of Manohara with razor blades. Nevertheless, as I noted in the first post, these are issues that will be adduced at trial and with, I am guessing, photographic evidence of the crimes / violence claimed.

However, and despite the protestations of Commission I of the House of Representatives, embassies are sometimes unable to provide the necessary assistance. Yusron Izha Mahendra, Chair of Commission I cites the example of abused foreign migrant workers, particularly maids, however most of this abuse remains unknown until such time as it can no longer be hidden; the migrant worker is so severely abused that they need medical attention or they die. At this point the embassy can really only facilitate the repatriation of the body and family members to and from the country concerned. And, assuming the family wants to take legal action, facilitate that as well by connecting the family to local legal representation.

This is not to say that the Indonesian Embassy's performance in this case was beyond reproach, to the contrary, however Manohara's allegations of being ignored by the embassy is her side of the story. It goes without saying that the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia is going to have a different take on how the events transpired. Hopefully, there can be good come from this and the procedures can be tightened and improved so that any future occurrences can be better handled and resolved more quickly.

Interestingly, the latest statement from the Kelantan royal family is that Manohara's flight was not so much an escape from evil but an agreed return home. It would seem that some of Manohara's statements would seem to agree. Although, she has not backed of the abuse claims so it remains to be seen how this plays out in this respect. There is also some intrigue as there are claims that not only were Singaporean police involved but there was FBI involvement as well. The FBI involvement is presumably because Manohara retains US citizenship.

On the lawyer front. Todung Mulya Lubis, a highly respected Indonesian lawyer, has withdrawn his services as legal counsel to the Kelantan family. According to The Jakarta Post the reason was that "there was no will from the family to settle the problem amicably." Now, most people would be all for amicable settlements however this hardly seems to be a case where an amicable settlement is ever likely to be achieved in light of the serious charges being levelled at the Prince by his wife.

I wonder whether the public statements attributed to Lubis prejudice the case of his former client. I have no problem with a lawyer withdrawing their legal services when they no longer feel they can represent their client to the best of their ability. It is a different kettle of fish to withdraw your services and then go on the record that your former client has no intention of settling the case. This would seem to suggest that there is merit to Manohara's claims and that the best course of action is to pay out and be done with it. Perhaps The Jakarta Post selectively quoted Lubis and the above quote is not the sum total of what was said.

It would seem that an amicable settlement in this case would be agreement to a quickie divorce (which should not be any trouble) and a financial transaction in order that the aggrieved party feels like they have been taken care of (or their silence is paid for). An amicable settlement might be a good PR strategy, particularly when all signs are pointing to this dragging on and getting even messier in the weeks and months ahead.

Yet, it would be a sad day when domestic violence can be rectified with a swift transfer of funds. People who beat their spouses must not be allowed to get away with paying cash for their crimes. If the abuse is proved then they must be subject to the criminal penalties that apply. If the rich can pay their respective way out of crime then we as a community are moving further away from the ideal of equality before the law.

It seems that the idea of a settlement is intended to avoid any criminal prosecution for the alleged abuse. However, if the Prince maintains that he did not abuse Manohara then a criminal trial where Manohara would be called on to prove the abuse might be in the Prince's best interests. Once again, this assumes no abuse took place.

However, if there was abuse then a settlement agreement with watertight confidentiality provisions and a statement that admits no guilt, may in fact be a good option.

The idea that this is going to be a strain on Indonesian and Malaysian relations is a stretch. There are far more interesting happenings that are likely to strain the bilateral relationship like allegations that an Indonesian warship was within seconds of firing on a Malaysian warship in the area surrounding the contested waters of Ambalat.

The saga continues.

Washington DC

It is always nice to come back to Washington DC. I really enjoy the mix of history and the hustle and bustle. Simply, it is a place with a rich history that has made a nation and the hustle and bustle of a place always on the move seeking out the best possible future.

As I was travelling around on buses and trains, I found myself wondering when Jakarta might have a public transportation of some similar kind. I am resigned to the fact that it might be a long time off. Oh well!

Yesterday, I, along with the UPH team, did the standard monument walk-a-round. I could have done more monuments, but the team was hungry and cold so we headed off to find food and ended up in Chinatown. The photos of this little journey will be posted later.

Today, was a long day. It did not start until after midday, which I guess is some consolation, and started with lunch with our gracious host, the Education Attache at the Indonesian Embassy. We were joined by the UI team for the occasion. The lunch was a Chinese buffet and it was pretty good value for money at USD 15 dollars (plus tax).

After lunch we ended up in Georgetown. I really enjoy Georgetown as it has a laid back casual air to it. I also like the mix of branded shops, sole traders, and book and music stores. There is a really good Barnes & Noble Bookstore that I was able to spend a couple of hours wandering around. I bought a few books for Will and myself. I am still looking for the gift that the missus wants and I need to find a good craft shop in order to get it.

The day ended after a good French meal, a bus ride, and a taxi ride back to where we are staying. The french food was exceptional and I am going to write a little review of that part later.

The team as usual has passed out or gone straight to bed. The jet lag seems to be still lingering. Hopefully, they will have that under control sometime tomorrow as the competition starts with the orientation session on Sunday and competition proper on Monday.

Something that I am noticing is that the people I am meeting are so much more friendly and approachable than I remember them of the past. Maybe I have forgotten, but the service that I have received over the past couple of days has been excellent. In Barnes & Noble the service went above and beyond, which is a pleasant change from what I have been used to in other parts of the world.

More updates to follow.