Bombing death toll rises to 17
BANDUNG (JP): Wawan Wahidin bin Engkos, whom police have described as a key witness in the wave of Christmas eve bombings, died here on Friday morning, raising the death toll in the bloody Sunday assault on nine cities to 17.
Wawan, 22, was critically injured in the blast at a building on Jl. Terusan Jakarta, which police suspect was being used to prepare the explosive devices.
His body was buried not far from his house in Cikalong Selatan in Cibiru district, Bandung regency, later in the day.
"We never really knew what he was doing. In the past three years he had been working in Tasikmalaya as a poultry farmer and he came home only once every five months," Engkos, Wawan's father, told journalists.
Despite the apparent setback, authorities remained confident of resolving the case, with President Abdurrahman Wahid personally claiming that authorities would soon arrest those responsible for the bombings.
"We are sure that they (the perpetrators) can be caught soon," Abdurrahman said after Friday prayers in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.
Urging the public to be patient, he added, "Even though we know who did it, we need (to gather) evidence (before we can) arrest them."
Abdurrahman maintained that the attacks were aimed at destabilizing his 14-month-old government, adding that the bombers were well-coordinated and well-funded.
"These acts were politically-motivated and they had nothing to do with religion at all. Certain people have been trying to misuse the name of religion for political interests," Abdurrahman said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks, which took place almost simultaneously across the country.
At least 118 people were injured.
Wawan was the fourth person to die in the Bandung blast. Earlier on Friday the three other victims -- Enjang Bastian Lesmana, Maman and Akim -- were buried at Sinaraga Public Cemetery.
"Up until today (Friday) nobody has claimed their bodies. We have no choice but to bury them," an official at Hasan Sadikin Hospital said.
Two others who were in the building at the time of the explosion, Roni and Agus, have been declared suspects by National Police headquarters.
The two will likely be charged under State Emergency Law No. 12/1951 for illegal possession and use of explosives and weaponry, carrying a possible death penalty.
A lawyer for Roni and Agus, Farhat Abbas, said on Friday that the two were recuperating at Sartika Asih Police Hospital and have revealed the mastermind behind the bombing.
"Both Roni and Agus have officially admitted to the police that the mastermind of the bombing plot in Bandung was Akim. The two said they were paid Rp 300,000 each by Akim to place bombs at (certain) targets," Farhat said.
"Therefore, for the time being, I conclude that my clients were involved based on an economic motive," Farhat asserted.
Police and hospital officials where the two are being treated were hastily called to alert on Friday when a bomb threat was received by the hospital at 1:45 p.m.
A sweep of the hospital found nothing.
Mosques
In Jakarta, a senior military intelligence officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed pessimism that police would be able to resolve the bombing case.
"The actors were using a cell-system so that none of the users, the makers, and the executors of the bomb attacks knew each other," the officer told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
"Even if police can arrest the two bomb-makers in Bandung, it doesn't mean they will find the links," the officer said while expressing belief that, despite being well-organized, the assailants were not Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel.
"If elements of the TNI were involved in the bombing operations, none of the targets would be missed. Besides, the attacks would cause more fatal impact," he boasted.
He further claimed that the attacks really have nothing to do with Muslim fundamentalists.
"It's too easy to point to them," he said.
To support his claim that Muslim hardliners were not involved, the officer made a startling revelation by disclosing that intelligence officers had also discovered explosive devices placed at several mosques in Jakarta on Tuesday night, the eve of Idul Fitri.
He refused to reveal which mosques had been targeted.
He argued that certain political groups "might be using groups of Muslim hardliners" and that they were exploiting Christmas eve "to seize power".
The officer further suggested that two major cities in Central Java have been identified by intelligence officers as bases for the terrorist network.
"I'll tell you this. You go to Surakarta or Yogyakarta right now and you'll find out what is going on, and what will happen during these next three days," he said, declining to elaborate.
Separately, members of the Indonesian Forum for Peace (FID) visited some of the victims injured during the Jakarta blasts, being treated at the state Cipto Mangunkusumo (RSCM) and St. Carolus hospitals.
Members of the forum, sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo, former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad and human rights activist Munir, said the purpose of the visit was also to collect testimonies.
They also donated Rp 2 million to each of the victims.
The Forum was established shortly after the blasts to demonstrate concern over the attacks. It has also established a fact finding team.
From hospital reports it was ascertained that most casualties were suffering from wounds caused by shrapnel and burns.
Munir, who is the secretary of the fact finding team, said the team had uncovered some "interesting" information.
"Just today we revealed similarities occurring prior to the blasts in several places, including Jakarta and Mojokerto, East Java: that there were intruders at churches who have more than one identity," he told journalists.
He said that the Forum and the police have set an outline to cooperate together openly, while the military chief and army chief of staff have also said they would not hamper the investigation if military elements were suspected.
Imam B. Prasodjo warned that although Idul Fitri passed peacefully, the possibility of further attacks during the New Year festive period should be investigated.(team)