Transcript E&OE
19 July, 2009
Press Conference, Jakarta
Subjects: Marriott/Ritz Carlton Bombings, Travel Advice for Indonesia.
STEPHEN SMITH: Since I spoke to the media yesterday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, there have been a number of developments and a number of things that I've done.
Firstly, yesterday evening I spoke to Kate Senger, the wife of Craig Senger. She is proceeding on the basis, as we are, of Craig's presumed death, but we're still waiting for some processes to go through before official confirmation is given. But there is more that enough evidence to proceed on that basis and our heart goes out to her.
I also had the opportunity of speaking with members of Nathan Verity's family - his father Peter and his wife Vanessa. They're proceeding on the same basis - we need to wait some more time for official confirmation - but again our heart goes out to them and members of their family.
Overnight we received confirmation from the Indonesian authorities that Garth McEvoy is officially confirmed as dead. Yesterday of course we were saying that we were fearing for the worst. But we received overnight official confirmation from the Indonesian authorities. His family has been advised - they're currently in Australia and I understand arrangements have been made for the Prime Minister to speak to family members later today. And again our heart goes out to members of his family.
I've just come this morning from a site inspection of the two hotels - necessarily, of course, limited because we are dealing with two crime scenes, but enough to see the aftermath of the vicious and brutal attacks. I also had the opportunity of receiving a briefing from Indonesian Police on the investigation, on the steps they are taking for victim identification and also the steps they are taking to investigate these crimes, these terrible acts, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
One of the reasons I was a bit late for you is that in the course of the morning I've had a conversation with Murray McCully, the New Zealand Foreign Minister, who rang to express his condolences at the loss of three Australians. Equally, I expressed my condolences at the loss of a New Zealand citizen, so we very much appreciated that expression of sympathy and support from our partners across the Tasman, and our sympathy of course to New Zealand for the loss of their citizen. I'll be leaving later this morning. I'm happy to respond to questions.
QUESTION: Did you get the impression from the Indonesian police that Noordin Top is suspect number one?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, as I said earlier today, in these matters we are always best off waiting for the exhaustive analysis. We are always best of waiting for the investigative processes to conclude. So whilst it is quite clear that he is a possible suspect, I'm not leaping to that conclusion and I think it's best in these matters to never make the leap from what appear to be practised, well organised methodical preparations that might see the signature of a particular individual or a particular group, and just wait until exhaustive investigation is done. What was made quite clear to me this morning is that the Indonesian Police very much appreciate their close cooperation with the Australian Federal Police and that's a good thing and that will continue. I'm happy to answer all your questions so we don't need to rush.
QUESTION: Can you tell us a bit about the damage you saw at the hotel?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well it's a crime scene so access is restricted and really what we saw was not necessarily the site of where the actual bombs went off, but in a sense the superficial damage. There are two reasons for restriction to complete access. One, it's a crime scene and forensic work is still being done. Secondly, there was some concern about some of the superficial structural arrangements and whether it was actually safe to go in. But you see enough to see the horror. I also spoke to the hotel managers of both the hotels, both of whom were on the scene at the time of the respective explosions and I expressed my sympathy and support to the hotel managers and their staff who are obviously going through a difficult time as well. But you see enough to understand the horror and we just hope that, once the forensic work is done, the hotel can be repaired and up and running again in short order.
QUESTION: Will the Australian government and DFAT officials help now with the next stage of the family's process, I guess, the repatriation of bodies? Talk us through how that process works.
STEPHEN SMITH: Well I won't go through precise detail because there are obviously private family arrangements that we should all respect. But I just want to take this opportunity of really complimenting the Department of Foreign Affairs officials both in Australia and in Jakarta. In the case of all three families, they worked very closely with them. The support that the Embassy officials and staff have given to the family members who have already come to Jakarta - from my own conversations with them -has been first class. It has been a really terrific display of sympathy and solidarity to fellow Australians. So all of the usual consular support has been given to family members in Australia, but a special and particular support has been given here. And I have to say, because your question gives me the opportunity, I came here for three reasons: one was to obviously to give support to Australians, the families of people who have been killed, or who we knew were gravely at risk. Secondly, to show support to our people here. In Craig Senger, for example, we have the first Australian official who has been killed in a terrorist attack who doesn't come from Defence or security services. And he's a workmate and colleague of people at the Embassy. I spoke yesterday to the two workmates who worked most closely with him. And they are obviously feeling the pain, but more generally, this is a mission that has seen two Bali bombings, an attack upon the Embassy itself and a terrible accident with loss of life from people of the Mission, with the Garuda plane crash. There is a lot of pain associated with people at the mission. They have done a terrific job in the face of that in the last 24 to 48 hours, in addition to the first-class quality of the work they do in one of our most important missions. In terms of the repatriation of the bodies, we will give the families every assistance. That will be done in conjunction with them, but we will do that in a way which respects their wishes and respects their privacy.
QUESTION: Mr Smith, what do you know about injured Australians, apart from Scott Merrillees, who went to Singapore? Do you know of any other Australians who have any slight injuries here?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well my advice and my understanding is that the one you have identified is the only other Australian involved. For his own reasons, he would prefer us not to talk about his circumstances so I'm not proposing to. Other than to say, he was treated here and has subsequently moved on. My understanding is he is receiving ongoing treatment. But he wants for his own reasons, which are perfectly appropriate, obviously he is absolutely entitled to it, to have his privacy respected and we'll do that.
QUESTION: What is the Australian government's opinion of Noordin Mohammed Top given that he is responsible for probably the loss of more Australian lives than other living terrorist?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well he is a brutal terrorist and we want him brought to justice. And the Indonesian authorities have been working very assiduously at that. They have come very close on occasions to arresting him, but they are diligently seeking to bring him into custody and if he is brought into custody by the Indonesian authorities then we would want him treated in the manner which the President has outlined so far as the perpetrators of this terrible injustice has occurred. We would want him treated in accordance with the rule of law and in accordance with Indonesian judicial and legal processes. And with his legal rights respected. And one of the things I said yesterday that I admired very much about the President's response is that in the face of an horrific attack, he committed himself to the democratic institutions of Indonesia, the rule of law and respect for human rights. And this is a country which has just emerged from a successful election process. The world's third largest democracy and my impression of Indonesia and its people, of course, is the very vast bulk of Indonesian people are horrified by all of these events. And a small number, like the one you referred to, are terrorists who commit these heinous crimes.
QUESTION: Mr Smith if I could ask you - you would have seen the pictures of the devastation on television before you arrived here. You've got a bit closer though you didn't get right in there. What was going through your mind when you looked at that in comparison to what you saw on television?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the most overriding emotion I've had has been my heart going out to the families who have lost loved ones. It breaks your heart when you sit down and speak to them. And a couple of people at the sites, one of whom was an Australian, was there at the time, who works in one of the hotels or both the hotels, deeply affected by it, as you would expect. So my heart goes out to the people who have been adversely affected by it, particularly to the ones who have lost loved ones.
QUESTION: Minister in your briefing from the police, did they give you an indication of how they thought the explosives were smuggled into the hotel?
STEPHEN SMITH: No we didn't go into that detail and frankly even if we had I wouldn't be detailing it publicly.
QUESTION: When you say that you're happy for Noordin Top to be dealt with by the proper process over here, does that mean the Australian government has no issue with the death penalty in regards to him if he's caught?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well our position on the death penalty is quite clear. The Australian government doesn't support the death penalty. We argue internationally that those countries which continue to have the death penalty should change their procedures. If someone who is an Australian citizen is convicted of sentence that opens up the death penalty, when all appeal and other process have been exhausted, if that person is still subject to a death penalty then we make representations on their behalf.
QUESTION: Minister just to clarify the travel advisory. What is it at the moment? Has it changed, hasn't it and could you just run us through that?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the travel advisory for Indonesia has been for a half a dozen years to consider your need to travel to Indonesia. Like every travel advisory, that is reviewed on a regular basis, and updated as factual circumstances change. So the only change that has occurred in the last 24 48 hours has been a factual change which draws people's attention to the fact of the terrorist attacks at the two hotels. The level has not changed for a half dozen years.
QUESTION: Does it need to change? Should we be updating it?
STEPHEN SMITH: It is regularly reviewed and it has been at that level for a half a dozen years because as the travel advisory makes clear we continue to believe that there is a high risk of terrorist attacks in Indonesia. I would have thought that risk was, regrettably, terribly underlined by the events of the last couple of days.
QUESTION: What is the next step from where it is now?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the next step up is do not travel. There is a small number of countries where our advice is do not travel. Indonesia is not one of those. And the travel advisory is reviewed on a regular basis. But I make the point - in the aftermath of the first Bali attack the travel advisory went to the level that it is currently at. There were different processes a half dozen years ago, but the substance is essentially: the travel advisory for Indonesia has been to consider your need to travel to Indonesia. It expressly draws attention to the risk of terrorist attacks. That has been this level for half a dozen years.
QUESTION: Is it consider or reconsider?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well consider or reconsider - it's essentially the same thing.
QUESTION: Is there a step up from that that says you should defer non-essential travel?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well there is a step from that which is do not travel.
QUESTION: There is not that intermediate...?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well I wouldn't describe it as intermediary. From time to time we give advice in our travel advisory which is people should defer or stop non-essential travel. But in terms of the levels or the categories that we use, the highest category or level is do not travel. The second highest is reconsider your travel.
QUESTION: At this stage you don't believe that people need to defer non-essential travel to Jakarta?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the travel advisory for Indonesia, including Jakarta, has been the same for a half a dozen years, which is to consider or reconsider your need to travel. What is the basis of that, as is outlined by the travel advisory. is because of the high risk of terrorist activity and on-going information about the risk of terrorist attacks. I would have thought that was obvious from the last couple of days, however so regrettably.
QUESTION: Minister, given that more people have died, have been killed in this country than any one of the countries that are on the blacklist you talk about, shouldn't this country join the blacklist? Shouldn't we say enough is enough?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well firstly I'll happily do a statistical check of your assertion and let you know whether it's correct or not.
QUESTION: in the last six years?
STEPHEN SMITH: The advice that we list for Indonesia is the same as it's been for six years. That's the first point. Secondly, Indonesia, of all the countries in the world, has been the most successful country in arresting and bringing to trial terrorists. In the hundreds and we're very pleased by that, we're very pleased with their work, and we're very pleased with the very strong cooperation we get from Indonesia. So far as the travel advice is concerned, that is reviewed regularly, as it has been for the last six years, where the level has remained the same.
QUESTION: There is some speculation, based on the remains that haven't been identified yet, possibly one of the suicide bombers is a female. Do you have any...?
STEPHEN SMITH: I wasn't proposing to go into that detail. As I say, I had a briefing from the Indonesian police about the victim identification that was obviously relevant because of the three Australians, two of whom are yet to be finally confirmed, but we are proceeding on the basis - as is the family - as are the Indonesian authorities - of their very unfortunate death. And also efforts to identify the perpetrators, but I wouldn't be prosing to go into any detail on that.
QUESTION: Are you confident that you will get the final detail, final confirmation of those Australians?
STEPHEN SMITH: The truth is it's a formality, but it is an important formality, because Indonesia, like Australia, carries out these certifications in an internationally consistent way. And particularly when you have an attack where there is a risk of misidentification, people need to be - and are -officials need to be very cautious wanting to make sure that the scientific evidence is conclusive. While there is more than enough evidence for the family members and ourselves to be satisfied, it will take a little bit more time. I would hope that that would be a matter of hours and days - not a longer period.
Thanks very much, good to see you.
[End]
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