[A group of Indonesian journalist today said the Australian Government is incorrect in thinking Abu Bakar Bashir was the man responsible for the Kuta Beach bombings. The journalists say the Government has no proof to support these claims.]

Transcript:

Mark Colvin: A group of Indonesian journalists, currently in Australia, are saying we've got it wrong in pointing the finger at the Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir as the man responsible for the bombings in Bali. The group, here to observe media organisations in this country, says the Western world has been too quick to jump to conclusions when it comes to Mr Bashir. Agnes Cusack reports.

Agnes Cusack: The 17 members of the Indonesian press corps, all well known in their country, are in Australia for nine weeks. They learned of the bombings in Bali through the Australian media, and have been reporting back to Indonesia on Australia's view of events.

They feel the Australian media has failed to distinguish between moderate and fundamentalist Muslims in Indonesia, and all agree that the cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has been wrongly accused of masterminding the attack.

Reiner Simanjuntak is from the Jakarta Post newspaper:

Reiner Simanjuntak: I think the Australian media, in some ways, has jumped to [inaudible] in making the conclusion that Abu Bakar Bashir is the man behind this tragedy. We don't have enough evidence or we don't try to explore other possibilities, that there may be other groups that are behind the Bali bombings, for example.

There is also the possibility that the loyalists of former totalitarian leader Suharto could be behind the bombings, or certain groups in the military which are not satisfied with the current development in democracy.

Indonesian Reporter: I believe that here is a simple person. Some of us know that as a Muslim he is a good leader. He loves peace, he loves others, even the person who comes from another religion, not only Muslim and Islam. He loves peace, I think. He is a very simple person.

Indonesian Reporter: The Australian media tends to be used by the Americans. I think there's a certain plot that Abu Bakar Bashir became a target. I don't think that he's the culprit of the Bali bombings because firstly, he doesn't have enough money, secondly, he lives very simply, and thirdly, the United States nowadays needs an enemy, needs one enemy, but with many faces. That is Al Qaeda, and Abu Bakar Bashir fits with that. I think the message is that all Muslims are evil, all Muslims are bad, don't make a relationship with a Muslim.

Mark Colvin: Indonesian journalists visiting Melbourne, and speaking to Agnes Cusack.