An act of cowardice

An act of cowardice

The bomb attack outside the Philippine embassy in Jakarta on
Tuesday may have heralded the arrival of international terrorism
in Indonesia. Or it could mark an attempt to internationalize
Indonesia's domestic conflicts, of which there are too many.

Whether an international or domestic form of terrorism, the
attack, which killed two persons and injured several others,
including Philippine ambassador Leonides Caday, was a despicable
act of cowardice. The attack was clearly designed not only to
kill and inflict damage, but also to intimidate, create confusion
and anxiety. This is a terrorist attack that could stoke
suspicions and lead to more conflicts, either between groups
within Indonesia, or between Indonesia and its neighbors.

With no one claiming responsibility, the nation has been left
guessing about the perpetrators and their motives. Some of the
speculations and theories that were voiced by politicians
bordered dangerously close to slanderous accusations because they
were supported by not so much as a shred of evidence. But then,
that was probably the intention of the attack.

One thing that the bombing demonstrates is that Indonesia,
with the seemingly endless political, social and economic
problems it faces, has become highly vulnerable to terrorism.

Indonesia's political condition is very fragile, with violent
conflicts in Aceh, Maluku and the Central Sulawesi town of Poso
continuing unabated. In this environment, there are bound to be
groups that are not content with the way things are developing.
If confusion and disorder were the ultimate objectives of the
attack, then we must also include groups with ties to the New
Order regime of former president Soeharto as possible culprits.
These are the same groups that the government says are
responsible for provoking the sectarian conflicts in Maluku.

Indonesia has become an ideal arena for terrorist operations,
whether domestic or international, because of lax law
enforcement. There have been many other provocative acts,
including bomb attacks, which remain unresolved to this day. They
reflect the poor skills of the police, especially when it comes
to intelligence operations and investigations of important cases.

All the police have with regard to these cases are hunches but
never the evidence needed to prosecute the perpetrators. We know
that the bomb blast in a church in Medan in May was intended to
foment religious conflicts. We also know that the blast in the
Attorney General's Office in June was aimed at intimidating the
government's corruption investigation of Soeharto. Neither case
has been resolved in court and the police investigation of
Tuesday's bomb attack could end up the same way.

The major reason why Indonesia is vulnerable to terrorist
attacks is the waning authority and credibility of the government
of President Abdurrahman Wahid. Although the President has made
some inroads in promoting free speech since his election in
October, the country seems to have degenerated into new cycles of
violence, compounding problems which he inherited from his
predecessors. As much as we sympathize with the President for the
complexity of the problems he is dealing with, his failure to
come to grips with the big problems raise questions about his
ability to govern. The President's authority and credibility to
govern deteriorates with each new unresolved problem.

Tuesday's bomb attack, the most powerful to date and striking
right here in Jakarta, is a major test of the credibility and
authority of the police, and for the administration. This is a
case that neither can afford to squander, lest they encourage
more terrorist attacks and at the same time lose the trust and
confidence of the people, and of the international community.