Slipi blast -- who dunnit?<\/p>\n
Another blast, another puzzle and another mystery to solve. Do
\npeople in Jakarta really care? Apparently not much.<\/p>\n
Some major daily newspapers in Jakarta did not even bother to
\nreport the explosion at the busy Slipi intersection on Wednesday
\nnight which left 14 people injured.<\/p>\n
The police predictably got into the act quickly and launched
\nan investigation and are expected to disclose the type of
\nexplosives used in a few days. If we are lucky, they will
\nannounce a long list of possible suspects. Otherwise, you can
\ncount on the conspiracy theorists to come out with snap
\nexplanations.<\/p>\n
Police rarely finish the job when it comes to dealing with
\nbomb attacks in Jakarta. They have almost consistently failed to
\nshed any light on just about every bomb blast that has occurred
\nin the capital this past year. Even the few odd cases that have
\nmade it to court have left more questions than answers.<\/p>\n
At any other time, the Slipi explosion would have generated
\nsome interest and panic among Jakartans. But judging by the way
\nmany mainstream newspapers in the capital have relegated the
\nstory into insignificance on Thursday reflects to a large extent
\nthe increasing apathy, as well as the increasing feeling of
\nhopelessness, among the eight million Jakarta residents toward
\nbomb explosions in their midst.<\/p>\n
Such bomb attacks are happening too frequently, and the
\nauthorities have almost consistently come short of satisfactory
\nexplanations about who were the perpetrators and what were their
\nmotives. Even the 14 innocent passersby injured by shrapnel on
\nWednesday have been reduced to mere statistics, joining the list
\nof casualties from other blasts in Jakarta over the past year.<\/p>\n
The public's almost cold reaction to the Slipi blast may also
\nhave been caused by the fact that they have seen or heard about
\nfar more destructive bomb attacks occurring than the one in Slipi
\non Wednesday. It paled in significance to the powerful blasts at
\nthe Jakarta Stock Exchange building in September and the
\nsimultaneous attacks at several churches in Jakarta on Christmas
\nEve.<\/p>\n
The only thing that these bomb attacks have in common is that
\nthey failed to instill fear in busy Jakartans. One would have to
\nbe very hard-pressed to find any other discernible patterns.<\/p>\n
These attacks had no set pattern, in regard to the timing,
\ntype of explosive used or targets. For all we know, there could
\nhave been many perpetrators, each with completely different
\nmotives. That makes it difficult for anyone, even experts, to
\npredict where and when the next bomb attack will happen.<\/p>\n
This has not stopped conspiracy theorists from coming out with
\nexplanations of who did it and why. Their usual suspects have
\nincluded supporters of former president Soeharto, remnants of the
\nNew Order regime, opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nsupporters of Abdurrahman Wahid, some loose cannons in the
\nmilitary and the Aceh Free Movement (GAM). As long as they remain
\nmysterious, the rumor mills will never stop churning out the
\ntheories.<\/p>\n
While Jakarta residents appear to have internalized the
\npresence of bomb threats into their daily activities, this does
\nnot mean that the authorities can relax and take their time in
\nresolving these cases. Alas, with our police force still in
\ntatters because of problems over leadership, resources, staffing
\nand morale, we can bet that the Slipi blast will never be
\nresolved satisfactorily. Like the previous bomb attacks, this
\ncase will soon fade into oblivion.<\/p>\n
Until our police can get their act together, Jakartans will
\nhave to live with the constant threat that another bomb attack
\ncould happen anytime, anywhere. The best they can do is hope, and
\npray, that they will not be anywhere near the next explosion.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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