National

Indonesia Condemns Australian Embassy Bombing In Jakarta
Thursday, 09 September, 2004 | 19:59 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian government has strongly condemned the bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. “We not only condemn this terrorist act, we will together fight this scourge, we will nab them and drag them to court,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda told reporters at the bombing site on Thursday afternoon (09/09).
Wirajuda said that based on police reports, bomb came from a car, the same pattern of bombing used in Bali two years ago and at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta August last year.
Following the bombing, Australia has offered assistance in solving the case, Wirajuda said. “I am confident that the peoples of the two countries will not easily be pit against each other by a small group of terrorists,” he said. He said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and the shadow Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, will be flying in to Jakarta on Friday.
Wirajuda gave assurances that no expatriates had died in the bombing. “All the victims were Indonesians,” he said. President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to visit the bombing site in the afternoon, after her arrival from Brunei Darussalam.
National Police Da’i Bachtiar said the bombing indicated that the terrorists are still capable of recruiting people to carry on suicide bombing missions. “From our current investigations, we think this is the same group as that of Dr. Azahari. The operating method is the same as the previous two bombings at the Mariott Hotel and Bali,” Da’i said as he inspected the bombing site.
The terrorists’ target, he added, remained the same: the embassies of Britain, Australia, and the United States, the National Police headquarters as well as the anti-terrorist training center in Semarang, Central Java.
Da’i said the bomb was inside a car, citing the chasis number of a car found nearby. “Whether there was a driver or not in the case, has yet to be confirmed and identified,” he said. The car drove in the slow lane and was approaching the Embassy gates when it exploded, killing four people, all of them Indonesian citizens. The wounded numbered more than 20 people.
Reaction to the bombing in general has been one of shock and regret around the country, although some urged caution before making accusations. Indonesian Vice-President Hamzah Haz added that the perpetrators were Indonesians. “This is the act of our own people, those who do not want to see a stable Indonesia,” said Hamzah. In Solo, Central Java The Indonesian Muslim Students Association or Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (HMI) has asked Australia not to point fingers at Jamaah Islamiya as the responsible party behind the bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
“I think naming Jamaah Islamiyah as being behind the bombing is too premature, better wait for the investigation,” said Hasanuddin, HMI chairman said in Solo, Central Java.
Hasanuddin was reaching to a statement reportedly by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer made immediately after the bombing incident. Hasanuddin also blamed the Indonesian government, specifically the State Intelligence Body (BIN) for failing to anticipate this act of terrorism.
Meantime, economist Adityawan Chandra said that Indonesia’s country risk rating is sure to fall yet again following the Australian Embassy bombing. “The perception that there is still insecurity in the country will persist,” said Chandra. It comes at a time when the country badly needs the return of foreign investment to achieve economic recovery.
Chandra says that the new elected president will have a heavy task ahead of him because of this negative perception of Indonesia. ‘They have to convince the domestic public as well as the international community that Indonesia is a safe place to invest,” he said.
Asked to comment on the effect of the bombing on the economy, Indonesian Central Bank Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah indicated his concern over the negative effects on economic growth. The insecurity and uncertainty will have a big impact on economic indicators, he said.
A spokesperson of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Australia said there was no truth to rumors that Indonesian citizens were being expelled as a consequence of the bombing. “This is just a rumor to scare our citizens,” said Trini Suwalang by phone.
Reports were circulating that Indonesians were being evacuated from Australia following news about the bombing.(Martha Warta-Tempo News Room)