Balinese general to lead probe into bomb attacks<\/p>\n
Reuters, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has put a senior police general widely respected by
\nWestern diplomats for his attempts to cool tensions in separatist
\nPapua province in charge of the probe into last weekend's bomb
\nattacks in Bali.<\/p>\n
Diplomats have said I Made Mangku Pastika, himself a Balinese,
\nearned praise for the investigation into last year's murder of a
\ntop Papuan independence leader, embarrassing the military by
\narresting seven special forces members over the killing.<\/p>\n
The United States has also said it had confidence in Mangku's
\nability to handle the investigation into the shooting ambush of
\nmainly American school teachers last August in the province that
\nkilled two U.S. citizens and one Indonesian.<\/p>\n
Deputy National Police spokesman Edward Aritonang said the
\nEnglish-speaking Mangku would work with foreign investigators who
\nhave flown into Bali to help probe the massive bomb blasts that
\nkilled 184 people, mainly Westerners.<\/p>\n
"He will coordinate the investigation," Aritonang said, adding
\nMangkuPastika would report directly to the National Police chief.
\nIndonesian police are already working with the Australian Federal
\nPolice and the FBI in Bali.<\/p>\n
One senior diplomat recently said Mangku was doing a
\n"brilliant job" in Papua.<\/p>\n
In particular, Mangku has tried to prevent his forces from
\nemploying the often typical violent Indonesian response to
\nindependence demands from the general populace in Papua, one of
\ntwo Indonesian separatist hotspots.<\/p>\n
The arrests of the special forces personnel over the slaying
\nof Papuan independence leader Theys Eluay, who was found dead in
\nhis overturned car, surprised many who had predicted the police
\nwould either hit a brick wall or not follow through on the probe.<\/p>\n
Officials have not said if all seven special forces members
\nwould face murder charges, but they are expected to face court,
\nsomething most perpetrators of past military abuses have avoided.<\/p>\n
"We have seen from the Theys case that he can conduct a good
\nprobe," said one foreign security expert.<\/p>\n
No group has claimed responsibility for the Bali blasts, but
\nsuspicion has fallen on Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and an
\nIndonesian based group, Jamaah Islamiyah, which some link to al-
\nQaeda.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balinese-general-to-lead-probe-into-bomb-attacks-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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