Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman and People's Republic of China's Deputy Minister of Justice Xiao Jianzhang met in Jakarta on Tuesday (25/2). In that meeting, legal cooperation was discussed as well as the possibility of a renewed fathoming of an extradition agreement, and the problem of illegal immigrants. And the question of compensation for the assets of Eddy Tansil was discussed informally.

In that meeting the Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman was sided by the Department's Secretary General Saleh Baharis, the Director General for Social Rehabilitation Thahir Abdullah, the Director General of Immigration Pranowo, and the Director General of Law and Legislature Bagir Manan, and Inspector General Soeyatno. Present on the Chinese side were among others the Chinese Ambassador Zhou Gang, the Director General of Shanxi Province Wan Ahouheng. Personnel Director Li Gang, Deputy Director General for Foreign Affairs Duan Zhengkun, and the Deputy Director of the Justice Department Office Sun Xiaoming.

When asked whether in the meeting there was discussion of compensation for the ceding of assets proposed by China, in relation with the discovery of a number of assets of Eddy Tansil on China's mainland, Oetojo said, "No. Officially we did not discuss compensation for the ceding of assets of Eddy Tansil on mainland China to the Indonesian government."

Oetojo Oesman also refused to answer the question whether China would possibly pose conditions for the return of assets owned by Eddy Tansil on mainland China. But the Justice Minister admitted that a number of assets and companies owned by Eddy Tansil in mainland China were no longer operational.

"They were not frozen but are no longer in running condition. About the possibility that they were frozen by the local government we don't know anything. Based on our observations, Eddy Tansil's companies in China are no longer running," he said.

Immigrants and extradition

In the meeting which lasted more than two hours, the two sides also discussed renewed fathoming of the possibility to augment talks concerning steps towards a more advanced and matured extradition agreement between the two nations. Thus far Indonesia has only reached extradition agreements with Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. "We also touched on the question of extraditon agreement talks with China. But that is still in the preliminary stage. This needs further discussion," he said.

Touching on the posiibility of a flood of Hongkong citizens as illegal immigrants after England cedes its colony to China coming 1 July, the Justice Minister also admitted that had been part of the talks with the Chinese Deputy Minister of Justice.

"What is clear is that Indonesia has prepared and reinforced itself by guarding against the possibility of entry by illegal immigrants. Because Indonesia could be made a transit location. Although some have started to enter Indonesia, thus far there have been no reports on large-scale entry of Hongkong citizens into Indonesia. Thus far many Hongkong citizens have gone to Japan, for instance," said Oetojo.

Legal cooperation

Asked about the purpose of his visit to Indonesia, Chinese Deputy Justice Minister Xiao Jianzhang said that in principle it was to carry out cooperation and to establish closer relations in the field of law between China and Indonesia.

Besides that, the delegation of the Chinese Deputy Justice Minister also wanted to know about the arrangement and system of construction of law in Indonesia, the duties of the Dpartment of Justice, the judicial system and legal assistance in Indonesia and the model for guidance of convicts in the Indonesian social rehabilitation institutes.

Oetojo said that the visit of the Chinese Deputy Justice Minister was to renew legal cooperation, which all this while has been established and running well. Besides that there was also an exchange of information and an exchange of minds on developments of the legal system and the judicial system in the respective countries.

In the meeting, augmentation of legal cooperation was also discussed, for instance what efforts to decrease the entrance of illegal immigrants from China. On this occasion, the Indonesian side also renewed the question of guaranteed cooperation promised by China in case of arresting Eddy Tansil.(*)