Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Australian counterpart John Howard in their upcoming meeting on Batam Island on June 26 may talk about Australia's concern on the release of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir and seek solution for the current standoff between the two countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said here on Friday.

The topic was on schedule, said spokesman Desra Percaya, adding that "Indonesia's efforts in combating terrorism should not be measured by the release of cleric Ba'asyir and the government had strong commitment to continue our efforts to counter terrorism."

Australia earlier this week sent a letter to the Indonesian government over its disappointment over the Indonesia's legal decision to free Ba'asyir here on Wednesday, who completed his 26- month jail term for conspiracy in the Bali bombings in 2002 that killed 202 people, most of them Australian tourists.

The spokesman said that Indonesia would not be dictated by other countries in its efforts to combat terrorism.

"As Indonesia has brought Ba'asyir to the legal process, he had been punished and undergone his punishment. We can say he is a free man," said Desra.

On Australia's request to monitor the cleric's activities and freeze his assets, Desra said that the country's authorities and police would take those measures, which was different from Vice President Jusuf Kalla's remarks here on Friday.

Kalla said that he could understand Howard's "emotional reaction," but insisted that Howard should understand the Indonesian law.

"Of course we understand Howard's emotional (reaction). But the law can not be measured by perception. The law is based on facts. Indonesia has law that is similar with other laws in other countries," he said.

On the request to financially control the cleric, Kalla asked " what can be seized from the freed person? The boarding school belongs to the faiths."

The vice president said that Indonesian court could not take any decision that was not based on the legitimate evidence.

"The court can not take any decision based on illegitimate evidence. All must be (based on ) Indonesia's legal evidence," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Indonesian intelligence chief Syamsir Siregar said that the intelligence would not conduct surveillance on the cleric and that foreign countries should not interfere in Indonesian domestic legal affairs.

"There is no a surveillance. He (Ba'asyir) is an ordinary citizen," he said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said here on Thursday that "the legal process in a country should be respected," adding that the Indonesian judiciary made the decision based on clear evidence and other proof, although the Australian government and the people of Australia whose family were the big part of the 2002 Bali bombings victims were angered over the release of the cleric.

The 67-year-old cleric, sentenced for involvement in the Bali bombings in 2002, on Wednesday completed a 26-month jail term. He was believed to be the spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network that committed the bombings.

Source: Xinhua