Bogus messages of fresh attacks cause panic, anger

Bogus messages of fresh attacks cause panic, anger

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar/Bali

Sinister cell-phone messages of fresh terrorist attacks in Bali
and others designed to encourage religious violence spread
quickly through the island on Monday, causing panic in some areas
and angering law enforcement agencies.

There were at least three messages, which were widely
circulated through cell phone SMS (Short Messaging Service). The
unsolicited messages were generally sent by numbers unknown to
the recipients.

The first messages consisted of warnings advising people,
mostly members of the expatriate community here, to refrain from
visiting popular areas, claiming fresh attacks were immanent.

"The one I received warned me to stay away from any tourism
establishments along the Oberoi street," photographer Rio Helmi
said.

Other messages made bogus claims of fresh terrorist attacks.
On Monday evening, a message claimed that a supermarket in
Batubulan, Gianyar, had been blown to pieces. A few minutes
later, another false SMS said a loud explosion had rocked an art
shop in eastern Denpasar.

The third, most-sinister SMS, told the Balinese to attack
Muslims and destroy their houses.

This incendiary message was also being circulated among the
Balinese community in Jakarta.

"A lot of my Balinese friends have received similar messages,"
a Jakarta-based Balinese writer, Putu Fajar, said.

Although the rumors managed to scare many people, others were
not convinced.

"I usually try to clarify the rumors with my journalist
friends or my contacts in the police force," businessman Marlowe
Bandem said.

Other recipients were so irritated by the rumors that they
bombarded the senders numbers with their own messages.

"I sent an SMS asking the sender, 'Who are you and what do you
want to achieve by spreading this kind of thing in this difficult
time'," Rio Helmi said.

He received no response.