Living in fear<\/p>\n
On Tuesday Jakarta was rocked by no less than six bomb
\nthreats, the largest number on a single day to hit the capital.
\nAll but one turned out to be a hoax. The sole explosion -- at a
\nshopping mall in the eastern residential district of Kelapa
\nGading -- was caused by firecrackers.<\/p>\n
Hoax or real, bombs or firecrackers, the increasing frequency
\nof such threats is of grave concern. They cannot be dismissed
\nsimply as the work of pranksters. Police have refrained from
\nexplaining who were behind these acts and why. However, the
\nguilty party's systematic method, combined with their ability to
\navoid detection, point to a clandestine campaign of terror.<\/p>\n
Reviewing the targets selected, the offensive is clearly aimed
\nat creating maximum disruption and unease. Phoned bomb threats
\nhave been received at shopping malls, high-rise office buildings,
\nan airliner, a foreign mission and hospitals and government
\noffices, including the Attorney General's Office. Most of the
\ncalls subsequently proved to be hoaxes. The only other recorded
\nexplosion was at the vacant Ramayana department store on Jl. Agus
\nSalim (aka Jl. Sabang) in January. Although the two explosions
\nclaimed no lives, there was damage to property and vehicles.
\nSince we do not know who is doing this and for what reason, we
\ncannot rule out the possibility of casualties next time around.<\/p>\n
The spate of bomb threats is a new addition to a list of
\nfactors that have given millions of residents the jitters during
\nthe past year. We have already witnessed two destructive and
\nbloody riots and are constantly bombarded with rumors of further
\nchaos. The wave of robberies -- currently targeting not only
\nhouses and banks, but also individuals on the streets, in taxis
\nand even in their own cars -- has alarmed people to such an
\nextent that many have begun to arm themselves.<\/p>\n
Most people in Jakarta have simply adjusted their lives to the
\nnew circumstances. Others have left town: many casual laborers
\nand domestic servants decided not to return from their home
\nvillages after the Idul Fitri holiday. Others have decided to
\nbegin a new life in foreign countries. Many embassies have issued
\ncautions to citizens intending travel to Indonesia. Their advice
\nto limit travel within Indonesia is one that any responsible
\nIndonesian would also give to family members.<\/p>\n
Many of those living in Jakarta undoubtedly have contingency
\nplans should the situation take a turn for the worse, now a very
\nlikely prospect. Life must go on. But we can only wonder what
\nkind of a life we are leading if we are continually haunted by
\nsuspicion and fear.<\/p>\n
A campaign of terror -- for that is what this series of bomb
\nthreats essentially boils down to -- is the most despicable and
\nheinous crime. We cannot foresee who the next call will target
\nnor when this may happen. The riots at least provided some
\nnotification signs before they erupted. With most crimes people
\ncan take precautions to protect themselves. Bomb threats,
\nhowever, disrupt the lives of vulnerable and defenseless
\nindividuals.<\/p>\n
The most disturbing aspect of the current situation is an
\napparent lack of action from the police. Not a single case
\nstemming from the recent threats has been resolved. We still do
\nnot know whether these threats were pranks or were conducted for
\nother motives. We only know that they are disruptive and have
\ninstilled even greater fear in the community.<\/p>\n
The issue reveals the poorly equipped and deficient training
\nof our police and military to investigate, and also anticipate,
\nthese cases. The National Police have repeatedly complained that
\nsevere understaffing prevents them from maintaining security and
\norder in the archipelago. However, given the increasing number of
\nunsolved police cases, a greater problem seems to be the poor
\ncaliber of the police force.<\/p>\n
The current move by the Armed Forces (ABRI) to bolster numbers
\nin the police force through the creation of a civilian militia
\nwill not likely deter the campaigners of terror. Under the
\npresent circumstances, that money would be better spent upgrading
\nthe investigative and intelligence skills of the existing force.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/living-in-fear-1447899208",
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