Jakarta (Agencies) – Indonesia has begun freezing the assets of militants whom the United States identified last week as suspected members of the al Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiah Muslim group, the foreign minister said on Tuesday.

There are at least seven Indonesians on the 20-name US list of people whose assets should be frozen, including several already in custody and suspected of involvement in last year's Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

"It has begun. I know that actions to eliminate the support for terrorism have taken place," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said as quoted by Reuters. He said Indonesia had been freezing assets whenever it saw a transaction that was believed linked to terror but he gave no details.

Wirajuda said tracking suspects' accounts might be difficult as some may not even have registered assets. "The question is whether they have accounts that can be frozen. They may not even have an account at all," he said.

Most of the suspects come from modest backgrounds, he said. On Monday, legislator Barlianta Harahap said that the freezing of four bank accounts under the name of Agus Dwikarna, an Indonesian national who is being detained in the Philippines on charges of involvement in terrorism, in some Indonesian banks is contrary to the Law on Central Bank Indonesia.

Harahap told Antara that Bank Indonesia cannot freeze individuals' assets without clear reasons as stipulated in the banking law. "Agus Dwikarna had not been proven guilty by court," he said.

Bank Indonesia may make decision to freeze Agus Dwikarna's financial assets only after receiving necessary and sufficient proofs about his involvement in the terrorist activities, Haraahap said.