Explosive sources should be tracked down: Kontras

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)