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29 March 2024

Indonesia defies US ban on Islamist 'terror' group

Published
By AFP

Indonesian police said on Friday they would not ban an Islamist group branded a terrorist organisation by Washington, while a member of the group said US sanctions against him were "a joke."

The United States on Thursday officially labelled Islamist firebrand Abu Bakar Bashir's Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) group a foreign terrorist organisation, linking it to several attacks in Indonesia.

"It is the right of the United States to make such a statement, but the group is allowed to carry on in Indonesia as long as it is not breaking the law," National Police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution told AFP.

"We will keep monitoring their activities," Nasution said, adding that Indonesian police had still not finished investigations into the church bombing.

The US Treasury also announced that it was placing sanctions on three leading members of the group, banning US citizens and businesses from any transactions with them.

The trio are JAT acting emir Mochammad Achwan, spokesman Son Hadi bin Muhadjir, and recruiter and fundraiser Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba'asyir.

Muhadjir told AFP the US sanctions were "a joke that does not deserve a reply."

"This shows America's foolishness, since there was no evidence in court that proved we are guilty (of terrorism)", he said.

"The United States is looking for a new target for its fight against terrorism and it wants to enlarge its hegemony in Indonesia," he said, adding he would "never do business" with the US irrespective of the sanctions.

JAT was founded in 2008 by 73-year-old Bashir, who was sentenced to prison last year on charges of funding terrorist activities. It says it is a legitimate group to help Muslims and promote Islamic law in Indonesia.

Upon appeal last October the Jakarta High Court slashed Bashir's 15-year jail sentence to nine, citing lack of evidence and old age.

Bashir was the alleged founder and chief ideologue of the better-known violent group Jemaah Islamiya, responsible for a string of attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.