Militant Islamic group joins UN terror list

The United Nations has formally added the militant Islamist group in south-east Asia, Jemaah Islamiah, to its list of organisations subject to worldwide sanctions because of its alleged links with al-Qaeda.

The ruling binds all member countries of the UN to freeze any assets belonging to Jemaah Islamiah, prevent it obtaining weapons and bar its members from international travel.

Jemaah Islamiah is the leading suspect in the bombing of an nightclub on the Indonesian island of Bali two weeks ago which killed nearly 200 people, most of them Australians.

The UN's move comes after the Australian Government lodged an application earlier this week to the UN Security Council for Jemaah Islamiah to be listed as a terrorist group with links to Osama Bin Laden's network.

Vigilance call

Its request was accompanied by a document with detailed evidence of those links.

The move was supported by some 50 other countries and has now formally come into effect after the required two-day period during which objections could be presented.

None were, and therefore starting immediately, all member countries of the UN are instructed to freeze the assets of Jemaah Islamiah, ensure that it does not acquire any weapons and prevent its members from travelling between one country and another.

Several Asian and European countries had already begun to implement these measures, even before this UN ruling.

On Wednesday, the United States designated Jemaah Islamiah a terrorist group under US law.

The Australian Government also this week issued an international warning for extra vigilance, concerned that this move by the UN could spark a violent reaction from some supporters of the group.