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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesian Police receive threat against Australian & US Embassies in Indonesia |
| 2008-11-04 |
| THE Australian and US embassies in Jakarta have been threatened with bombings if the three Islamic militants on death row over the Bali blasts are executed. The threat was received via text message to police, police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said. "We're investigating this to find out who sent the threat,'' he said. He said it was being taken seriously although a similar threat against a shopping mall in Jakarta yesterday had proved to be a hoax. The embassies' compounds had been searched, the Detikcom news website reported, quoting police. It said the text message read: "I will pull the trigger (of the bomb) if Amrozi and his friends are executed,'' referring to the Bali bombers. The Australian embassy in Jakarta would not comment, referring questions to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra. A US embassy spokesman confirmed that a threat had been received and was being taken seriously. "We are working closely with the Indonesian police,'' he said. Security at the US and Australian embassies has been boosted amid fears of reprisal attacks after the executions. Amrozi, 47, his brother Mukhlas, 48, and Imam Samudra, 38, are facing execution any day over the bombings of packed tourist nightspots which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, six years ago. The threats came as Indonesia's Attorney General's Office rejected reports that the bombers' executions had been due to go ahead in the last day but were delayed at the last minute. The Indonesian newspaper Radar Banyumas said a new schedule had been set following the cancellation of a previous plan to execute the men early yesterday or early today. A source on the bombers' prison island said the delay was to avoid "politicking from some parties'' and that a fresh appeal by the bombers' families was not a factor in the delay. "The new schedule has been issued and it's in the hands of the executor in the field,'' the source told the newspaper. Attorney-General's Office spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan said the exact timing of the executions was up to those who would carry them out. He said a decision had been made to proceed with the executions and authorities overseeing them had been advised of that. Lawyers for the bombers are waiting to hear if they and family members will be permitted one final visit. Members of the bombers' families and some of their lawyers were turned away yesterday when they went to the port of Cilacap seeking permission to travel to Nusakambangan Island for a final goodbye. They are considering taking the matter to Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission. Lawyers say the denial of a final visit violates the bombers' human rights. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |