Gus Dur upset over bomb Yogya mosque<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has ordered the
\nNational Police chief to capture the mastermind behind the
\nplanting of a bomb at Yogyakarta's grand mosque in the vicinity
\nof the sultan's palace.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a Cabinet plenary meeting on Thursday, the
\nPresident, on his own initiative, briefed journalists on the
\nYogyakarta bomb as reported to him by National Police chief Lt.
\nGen. Roesdihardjo.<\/p>\n
\"Catch the mastermind with or without proper evidence. Bring
\nhim or her to justice and let the court decide,\" the President,
\npopularly known as Gus Dur, said.<\/p>\n
\"I am a patient man. But such a thing cannot be condoned. It
\n(the planting of the explosive) was aimed to test me in relation
\nto my 100-days in office,\" he said, hinting that the bomb plot
\nwas instigated by people dissatisfied with his administration's
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
Quoting a statement by Singapore's Premier Goh Chok Tong,
\nAbdurrahman said that his administration had began from minus
\nlevel, not zero level, referring to the challenges his
\nadministration was facing.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Police identified the explosive that was found
\ninside the grand mosque on Wednesday evening as \"TNT-type\".<\/p>\n
Police found the homemade bomb behind a bookcase in the mosque
\nafter night watchmen saw a fire, which damaged the carpets, at
\nthe mosque at about 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Dadang Soetrisno told
\nreporters later on Thursday the explosive weighed around 200
\ngrams, but had an explosive power that could \"destroy a small
\nbuilding\".<\/p>\n
He said the explosive was commonly used in military and police
\ntraining. \"It must be designed by a professional,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The bomb was discovered with its detonator, a 9-volt battery,
\nand cables inside a small box.<\/p>\n
\"We see this planting of a bomb as an effort to provoke
\nMuslims,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The provincial police spokesman First Lt. Yulianto BW said
\nthat the police also found a plastic bottle full of gasoline only
\na few meters away from the burnt carpets.<\/p>\n
He said police believed the bomb plot was linked to a planned
\nMuslim gathering at a nearby square on Sunday. The square,
\nlocally called Alun-Alun Utara, as well as the mosque, belong to
\nthe sultan of Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Those attending the gathering were to express solidarity for
\nMuslims in riot-torn Maluku.<\/p>\n
While condemning the bombing attempt, Yogyakarta Governor
\nHamengkubuwono X, who is also the sultan, called on the
\nprovince's residents to exercise restraint. He said Sunday's
\ngathering could go ahead.<\/p>\n
A bomb exploded in the basement of Istiqlal Grand Mosque in
\nJakarta in April last year. No one was injured, although windows
\nand doors of several offices on the floor were damaged.<\/p>\n
Police arrested seven people in different places from May 7
\nfor their alleged role in the bombing. The suspects reportedly
\nstayed at a rented house in Ciledug, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
One of the suspects, Surya Setiawan, was convicted at the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court in October to three years and two
\nmonths in prison for planting the bomb. (44\/prb\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-upset-over-bomb-yogya-mosque-1447893297",
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