'Bringing terrorists to court is waste of time'

'Bringing terrorists to court is waste of time'

The recent terrorist bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel in South
Jakarta claimed at least 10 lives and left around 150 injured.
The blast occurred less than a month after a bomb attack at the
legislative compound in the capital. Many people condemned the
attacks and criticized security authorities for failing to
anticipate the attack. The Jakarta Post talked with some
residents on their views.

Eka Dewi, 21, works at a hotel on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central
Jakarta. She lives in Karet, South Jakarta:

I feel terribly sad about the bombing of the JW Marriott
Hotel, which has affected dozens of innocent people.

I condemn the terrorists who committed such an inhumane
attack. They are not human beings; they don't have a heart. They
don't care about the impact on the nation's future due to their
acts.

Their thoughtless deeds have worsened the already tarnished
image of the country in the world. It's a disaster for us.

I also thank God for saving me from the tragedy. Before the
incident, I was waiting for a final decision on my recruitment to
the Marriott.

I'm working now at a different hotel, but I cannot deny that I
feel so worried, realizing that a hotel could be a terrorist
target.

No one and no place can guarantee our safety now, even though
we have our own security personnel and system to anticipate any
possible threats.

Worse, the incident has sparked distrust in the police. They
have always failed to solve bombing cases in the capital. I just
wonder what they are doing now.

I think the perpetrators of the bombing here should face the
death sentence. Otherwise, the terrorists will remain free to
carry out more attacks like these.

Bringing them to court is just a waste of time and money. The
court cannot punish them enough for what they did and the
casualties they caused.

They are just terrorists who deserve to be shot.

Tarmo (not his real name), 32, lives in Pulomas, East Jakarta,
with his wife and daughter:

The police always fail to prevent bomb attacks against many
public facilities and places in the city. They should anticipate
all possible attacks, not only for important places like the
legislative compound.

Our security still has so many loopholes that allow terrorists
to attack at any time. Poor country!

I hate to mention that certain high-ranking officials said
recently that terrorism was not a serious threat in the city. I
hate them, as they seem to have made a compromise with the
terrorists.

I completely agree that the death penalty should be handed
down to the terrorist who did this. Taking them to court would
only be a waste of time.

I imagine trapping those responsible in a building and then
blowing them up, so they can feel for themselves how terrible are
the sufferings of the innocent victims.

I prefer former president Soeharto's regime, since he was able
to curb terrorist threats. Perhaps it's time to employ secret
operatives to eradicate radical groups that have the potential to
become terrorists.

Ivan (not his real name), 41, works at a private company in
West Jakarta. He lives in Tangerang with his wife and son:

I am not too shocked by the recent bombing, as such attacks
are now common in this city. I am just sad that so many innocent
lives were lost.

I don't know what to say about the police's performance
anymore. They should have learned from the previous incidents,
but they haven't even succeeded in solving them so far.

They could have taken stern measures against alleged terrorist
suspects in anticipation of other possible threats.

I'm just disappointed about the corrupt mentality and behavior
of the police, because their attitude and professionalism are
important factors in anticipating possible terrorist attacks.
They are always negligent when it comes to law enforcement.

I don't think the terrorists should be brought to court. It
takes time and money, and it's completely meaningless. After all,
terrorists only deserve the death sentence.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.