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.