Expert Says Aceh Training Camp Constitutes Terror.
The paramilitary training camp in Aceh allegedly linked to Abu Bakar Bashir had terrorized local residents and therefore qualified as an extraordinary crime, a psychologist said at Bashir’s terrorism trial on Monday.
Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, from the University of Indonesia, told the South Jakarta District Court that the militant activities had revived traumatic memories of the 29-year separatist insurgency among residents of Jalin Jantho in Aceh Besar.
“The paramilitary training there created terror among the people who had just gotten over the political conflict involving the GAM,” he said, referring to the now-disbanded Free Aceh Movement. “If they hadn’t been scared, they would never have reported the camp’s activities to the police.”
He said that fear grew even deeper after the arrests and armed clashes that followed a police raid on the camp in February 2010. “The local residents were worried that a new war would erupt,” he added.
Sarlito said the videos posted on the Internet by the camp’s leaders indicated that it had political goals and was therefore above and beyond a normal crime. The camp was believed to have been training militants to carry out a series of Mumbai-style attacks on key targets around the country.
“It’s different from ordinary crimes that commonly have an economic motive or a motive of revenge,” he said.
Sarlito said it was not the first time Indonesia had been threatened with the prospect of an armed conflict to forcibly establish an Islamic state. In the 1950s, the Darul Islam group, which was pushing for an Islamic state, controlled large swaths of rural areas in parts of the country, including 90 percent of Aceh. By 1962, it had been routed in Aceh and by 1965 was wiped out completely.
Bashir has contended that the paramilitary training was simply the implementation of the Islamic principle known as I’dad , or preparation for armed conflict, under which all Muslims are obliged to be prepared to fend of the enemies of God.
After Monday’s hearing, Bashir lawyer, Achmad Michdan, said Sarlito’s testimony should be struck from the record because he was not an expert on I’dad.
“The testimony by the expert who called I’dad an act of terror goes against its interpretation,” he said. “Besides, it’s not his field of expertise so his testimony should be disregarded.”
Achmad said earlier witnesses had told the court that the paramilitary training did not create an atmosphere of terror because the camp was located far from areas inhabited by civilians. On several occasions, he added, local residents had even supplied the camp’s members with food.
Achmad said his team would call a cleric as a witness to explain the principle of I’dad when the defense begins presenting its case and calling witnesses next week.
The trial has been adjourned until Wednesday, when prosecutors are set to call Chairul Huda, a criminal law expert, to testify. He is expected to be the final prosecution witness to take the stand.
Bashir and his legal team missed much of Monday’s hearing after protesting what they said was bias on the part of the court in allowing prosecutors to let witnesses testify via video link.
Bashir is charged with three counts of funding terrorist activities at the Aceh training camp, as well as two counts of illegal possession of firearms, one charge of mobilizing and inciting people to commit acts of terrorism and one charge of using violence with intent to inflict human casualties.
He could face the death penalty if convicted.
di 12 apr 2011 - 17:25