Police have arrested three more people suspected of links to the armed group being hunted down in Aceh, a national police spokesman said on Wednesday.
Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said the three men, identified as Aman Abdurrahman, Abu Musa and Kuncoro, were arrested in Bekasi and Sumedang, West Java, over the weekend.
“They were involved with the armed group that held military training in Aceh,” he said.
News of the arrests came as Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar announced on Wednesday that all convicted terrorists would in the future be allowed to have cellphones inside their cells.
“I am confirming that we will allow all terrorist suspects to have cellphones inside their cells as long as they ask permission from us,” he said.
Patrialis was speaking on the sidelines of the 12th anniversary of the founding of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Central Jakarta.
However, he refused to explain this controversial policy. “I can’t talk about the reason because it is related to national secrets,” he said.
The government has been criticized for letting down its guard after jailed terrorists were found to be in possession of cellphones and communicating with active terrorist networks outside of prison.
Sidney Jones, a terrorism expert at the International Crisis Group, said earlier on Wednesday that poor monitoring in prisons had allowed new militant groups to develop.
“[The Indonesian government] must escalate its current monitoring in prisons,” she said, adding that the country has no need for a special prison for terrorists.
At a discussion on terrorism held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, Jones said the lack of surveillance of imprisoned terrorists made it easier for them to expand their networks and plan attacks. She said some of the militants arrested in Aceh last month had met in prison.
She noted that Aman served time at the Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung. Aman was arrested for his involvement in a bomb-making cell in 2004. “He gained a large number of followers in Jakarta after he was released in July 2008,” she said.
Jones said her research team had found militants with several cellphones inside their cells, including one with 15 cellphones.
Earlier this month, convicted terrorist Iwan Dharmawan, also known as Rois Abu Syaukat, was reported to have had eight cellphones with him while serving time at Jakarta’s Cipinang prison and to have been communicating with his networks in Aceh.
Meanwhile, in Denpasar on Tuesday, Untung Sugiyono, the director general of penitentiaries at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, vowed to “reevaluate where we failed” in handling militant inmates.
Nasir Abbas, a former JI member who is now assisting the police, said new militant groups had been formed after key terrorist leaders Noordin M Top and Dulmatin were killed in raids in 2009 and this year. “Several members of JI now think the group is sleeping and not productive, so they are frustrated and have formed new groups,” he said.
UN spokesman Michele Zaccheo said a temporary ban on foreign staff traveling to Aceh remained in place despite the arrests.
Captured members of the Aceh militant group claimed to have made surveys on possible targets in Aceh, including UN-related offices, according to the police.
Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said the three men, identified as Aman Abdurrahman, Abu Musa and Kuncoro, were arrested in Bekasi and Sumedang, West Java, over the weekend.
“They were involved with the armed group that held military training in Aceh,” he said.
News of the arrests came as Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar announced on Wednesday that all convicted terrorists would in the future be allowed to have cellphones inside their cells.
“I am confirming that we will allow all terrorist suspects to have cellphones inside their cells as long as they ask permission from us,” he said.
Patrialis was speaking on the sidelines of the 12th anniversary of the founding of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Central Jakarta.
However, he refused to explain this controversial policy. “I can’t talk about the reason because it is related to national secrets,” he said.
The government has been criticized for letting down its guard after jailed terrorists were found to be in possession of cellphones and communicating with active terrorist networks outside of prison.
Sidney Jones, a terrorism expert at the International Crisis Group, said earlier on Wednesday that poor monitoring in prisons had allowed new militant groups to develop.
“[The Indonesian government] must escalate its current monitoring in prisons,” she said, adding that the country has no need for a special prison for terrorists.
At a discussion on terrorism held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, Jones said the lack of surveillance of imprisoned terrorists made it easier for them to expand their networks and plan attacks. She said some of the militants arrested in Aceh last month had met in prison.
She noted that Aman served time at the Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung. Aman was arrested for his involvement in a bomb-making cell in 2004. “He gained a large number of followers in Jakarta after he was released in July 2008,” she said.
Jones said her research team had found militants with several cellphones inside their cells, including one with 15 cellphones.
Earlier this month, convicted terrorist Iwan Dharmawan, also known as Rois Abu Syaukat, was reported to have had eight cellphones with him while serving time at Jakarta’s Cipinang prison and to have been communicating with his networks in Aceh.
Meanwhile, in Denpasar on Tuesday, Untung Sugiyono, the director general of penitentiaries at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, vowed to “reevaluate where we failed” in handling militant inmates.
Nasir Abbas, a former JI member who is now assisting the police, said new militant groups had been formed after key terrorist leaders Noordin M Top and Dulmatin were killed in raids in 2009 and this year. “Several members of JI now think the group is sleeping and not productive, so they are frustrated and have formed new groups,” he said.
UN spokesman Michele Zaccheo said a temporary ban on foreign staff traveling to Aceh remained in place despite the arrests.
Captured members of the Aceh militant group claimed to have made surveys on possible targets in Aceh, including UN-related offices, according to the police.
