Explosive sources should be tracked down: Kontras

JAKARTA (JP): Bomb attacks are likely to escalate and terrorize the public if all government institutions concerned fail to track down where the culprits get their explosives from, a nongovernmental organization dealing with violence said here on Thursday.

The coordinator of the National Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munarman, suggested that the House of Representatives should audit all producers of explosives and explosive raw materials in the country in order to tackle the problem.

There are five companies that currently receive a license to produce explosive substances, namely, PT Pindad, PT Dahana, PT Multi Nitrotama Kimia, PT Tridaya Esta and PT Armindo Prima. The first two (Pindad and Dahana) supply the military.

"The police should also alter their method of investigation, switching from focusing on the culprits and their motives to focusing on the sources of the explosives used," he told reporters.

He added that all the producers record all of their transactions concerning explosive substances.

Kontras reported that the number of bomb explosions has soared to 85 cases this year, a five-fold leap from last year, which saw 17 cases.

The latest case occurred at Atrium Plaza in Senen, Central Jakarta, in which at least six people were injured.

Munarman said the House should also audit the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s ammunition repositories to find out if there was any unrecorded use.

"Maybe the bomb cases have been difficult to unveil because elements of the state's security are implicated in this terror. This includes the military, whose Strategic Army Reserves Command (Kostrad) and Special Force Command (Kopassus) are keen to create certain conditions in society," he said.

"The terror is part of a military intelligence operation, which has taken advantage of the current transition period. The bomb terror will not stop until it reaches its target," he noted.

But Kopassus spokesman Capt. Farid Makruf dismissed the involvement of the military in the bomb terror, saying that civilians can find out how to assemble a bomb from the Internet. (bby)