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JAKARTA - Hardline Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir continues to spread his message of hate across Indonesia as the spiritual head of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.
But Mr Downer said today Indonesia should not be criticised for failing to ban the terrorist group, but congratulated for its vast work fighting terrorism and extremism.
Indonesia had managed to "promote the moderate narrative" in contrast to Bashir's extremist views, leading to a "very substantial" fall in support for extremism, he said.
"At the end of the day we can give all that sort of advice ... but the Indonesians have got to work out what works for them," he told reporters in Jakarta.
"The way they have been handling this difficult issue is working for them.
"They've arrested somewhere in the vicinity of 200 JI operatives.
"They have very substantially reduced public support for extremism.
"Maybe if they had always adopted the suggestions of westerners they may not have done so well, who knows."
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said it was difficult to ban JI because it was not "a formal organisation".
"Since the beginning, we (have) known that the JI organisation is not a formal organisation ... without representatives or branches in Indonesia," he told reporters.
"Something that is not formal is difficult to ban.
"But for us, if JI or anyone is involved in terrorist activities, and we have legal evidence of their involvement, we will take measures of law."
Bashir was arrested a week after terrorist bombs ripped apart two Bali nightclubs in 2002 and served two years in prison for giving his blessing to the conspiracy that led to the blasts.
In December, the Indonesian Supreme Court overturned the conspiracy charges against Bashir.
The frail 69-year-old continues to teach at his Islamic boarding school in Solo, in central Java, and travels widely throughout the archipelago spreading his radical views about Islam and the "infidels of the west".
Mr Downer said a poll commissioned by the Australian government late last year found support for extremist groups had fallen significantly.
"They (Indonesians) haven't always done what westerners have suggested they do, that's true," he said.
"But they nevertheless have done an extraordinary job in getting results.
"And part of getting results is reducing public support for extremism, and they've got to do that, foreigners aren't going to do that."
If JI had its way, he said, it would impose a strict Islamic regime on societies across south east Asia.
"There would be no Asian Cup football, no cell phones, no television," Mr Downer said.
The two ministers were speaking at the start of a two-day counter-terrorism meeting in Jakarta, involving senior ministers from six countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Dr Wirajuda said governments needed to continue to work together and enhance cooperation, as terrorists were making their own "adjustments".
"They have also been evolving new strategies and tactics that have made them an even greater threat to peace, security and progress," he said.
"There is a great deal at stake in this conference ... no less than the future of our societies hang in the balance."
- AAP
