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Human rights activists on Thursday asked that the closure of the Guantanamo camp and the return of terrorist suspects to their countries for trial be a priority on the agenda of talks between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and US President Barack Obama during his visit to Indonesia.

Speaking at a new conference in Jakarta on Thursday, Poengky Indarti, from Imparsial, said the Guantanamo camp should have been closed in January, as Obama had promised in his past speeches.

In addition, he said, the international convention on human rights, as well as Indonesia’s Criminal Code, provides protection for anyone who had allegedly committed crimes.

“We urge the Obama administration to immediately close the Guantanamo camp and return terrorism suspects to their countries,” Poengky said.

“Like Hambali, he must immediately be returned to Indonesia for trial here. He deserves protection from the government and he deserves legal aid.”

Bhatara Ibnu Reza, an Imparsial researcher, said the two countries must also talk about new methods to fight terrorism.

The US government has provided large amounts of financial aid to help the Indonesian government and law enforcement agencies to eradicate terrorism.

This has resulted in the police using a get tough approach against terrorists, with many suspects, such as Noordin M Top and Dulmatin, being shot dead by the police, Bhatara said.

“For us, counterterrorism using violence is not sufficient to stop terrorism. We think it is contrary to the principles of human rights and citizens’ rights to legal aid,” he said.

Despite a decrease in the number of terrorist attacks, he added, such a violent approach would actually encourage the expansion of terrorist networks and movements at the grass-roots level.

Poengky added that the US government must be firmer in its stance concerning the need to promote human rights as well as the need to eradicate terrorism.

Imparsial also urged the US government to pressure the Indonesian government to address the settlement of past human rights abuses.

To date, despite the 2009 House of Representatives recommendation for the government to establish an ad hoc human rights tribunal, the government has done little to resolve past cases, such as the Talangsari case and the torture and murder of students in 1997-1998.

Al Araf, research coordinator for Imparsial, said both governments must also discuss new approaches to resolving problems in Papua.

“It would be very wise if Obama could discuss these problems with President Yudhoyono,” Al Araf said.