Indonesian newspapers zoom in on extradition treaty

The Straits Times, April 26,07
By Salim Osman, INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT


JAKARTA - INDONESIAN newspapers yesterday gave prominent coverage to the agreement on the extradition and defence treaties with Singapore that will be signed in Bali tomorrow.

All newspapers carried the story on their front pages but focused mostly on the extradition treaty rather than the defence pact.

Extraditing Indonesian fugitives said to be hiding in Singapore was the main focus of all the reports.

Afternoon daily Sinar Harapan, while welcoming the treaties, cautioned that they still needed to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries.

International law expert Hikmah Hanto told the daily that there would be a time lag before the extradition treaty came into effect.

'Hence while we are busy ratifying the treaty, the fugitives wanted for committing corruption would have time to pack up and leave Singapore. We will not be able to extradite them here,' he said.

According to him, Singapore did not have much interest in the extradition treaty.

'It's Indonesia which wants it so much because many Indonesians found guilty of corruption are hiding in Singapore,' he said.

Singapore was more interested in the defence cooperation agreement, he said.

Singapore would benefit more because it would now have training areas in Indonesia and could also seek the extradition of suspected Singaporean terrorists hiding in Indonesia, Mr Hikmah said.

The Republika daily made the same point in its editorial, saying that Singapore stood to benefit more than Indonesia, including the right to use Indonesian airspace - something which it said the Republic failed to get from Malaysia.

'We have been able to fulfil the needs of that country. But how much have we got in return?' it asked.

In an editorial, afternoon daily Suara Pembaruan said that it would be tough for Indonesia to extradite fugitives. It expressed hope that Parliament would cooperate by supporting the treaty.

Two dailies, Media Indonesia and Republika, carried the names of Indonesian fugitives believed to be in Singapore.

Legislator Abdillah Toha told the Republika that the government should release details of the extradition treaty to the public.

'Singapore has been telling lies to us. We will only believe it once it is signed,' he was quoted as saying.

Another daily, Koran Tempo, quoted legislator Djoko Susilo as saying that the Indonesian government should be cautious in signing the extradition agreement.

He said the government should bear in mind how to retrieve money which has been stashed away in Singapore.

The question of compensation for Singapore, such as sand exports, was brought up in an article posted on the Detik website.

'We did not talk about compensation,' Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda replied when asked the question following a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.

Detik said the foreign minister evaded the question and dodged others as well.