An ultimatum for Tommy

Jakarta Police chief Sofjan Jacoeb issued an ultimatum earlier this week for Tommy (former president Soeharto's fugitive son) to give himself up within three days as of Monday or face "stern" action.

In the past year, bomb explosions in public places were no longer a mere threat. They have become a terrifying fact of life and every time an explosion occurs, it is the common people who suffer.

A coalition of non-governmental organizations has recorded 81 bomb threats and explosions in the past year. The police have been accused of being unable to control the sale of explosives even though they have the records of all the organizations engaged in the arms and explosives business.

We hope the perpetrators of the bombing incidents and the assassins of Justice Syafiuddin will soon be captured and brought to justice.

However, even if Tommy were to be arrested, it would not constitute our National Police's best achievement. To the general public, such an achievement would be when the National police succeeds in establishing a sense of security among the people.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta