Govt to intensify ID checks, raids on suspicious places in order to combat terrorism
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian people have been warned of the inconveniences and infringements of privacy they may have to face when new, stricter security measures are put in place to prevent terrorism.
Insp. Gen. Ansjaad Mbai, head of the antiterror desk at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, said the policy would be applied right across the country.
"Everywhere in the country will be considered to be at risk from terror attacks," Ansjaad told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
"This is a kind of a wake-up call for the public to let them know that the threat of terrorism is all around us. We (the government) do not mean to create panic, but the people have to realize that their families or friends, or even themselves, could become the victims of these acts of terror."
Ansjaad said the police would intensify ID card checks and, if necessary, raid places about which they were suspicious, including homes, without warrants.
"From now on, security officers will intensify checks on people's IDs and belongings on the streets, and on entering private, government and public buildings.
"No one will be exempted even if they are state officials. People should see this as preemptive action rather than intrusions into their privacy," Ansjaad said.
The Indonesian Police was prepared to resort to the same sort of measures that were applied by the Australian security authorities, who conducted raids on the homes of Indonesians living in the neighboring country, following the bomb attacks on the tourist island of Bali last October, which claimed 202 lives, mostly Australians.
Following the blast at the U.S.-run JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta on Tuesday, the government announced a plan to institute new security measures, which include early detection involving the intelligence, police and immigration authorities.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the policy might not be popular among rights activists, but it was essential to prevent even more deaths at the hands of the terrorists.
At least 10 people were killed and 149 others injured in the hotel bombing. Police have linked the attackers with the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network, which is allegedly connected with al-Qaeda and has been blamed for the Bali bombings.
Ansjaad said local governments would be encouraged to ensure that those living in their jurisdictions were alert to the terror threat, which not only targeted foreign interests but was "a real threat to everyone here in Indonesia".
Public participation was expected, Ansjaad said, with people being called on to strengthen neighborhood security systems -- even preventing vehicles from entering their areas unless they were searched.
Despite the possible inconveniences, members of the public interviewed on the street supported the measures. They also demanded improvements in police professionalism, both as regards psychology and the use of state-of-the-art equipment.
"Look at the security measures taken by the U.S. following the terrorist attacks on the WTC in New York almost two years ago. No one was allowed to escape being searched," Anizar Djalil, who works for the UN representative office here, told the Post,.
She recalled that whenever she passed through airports in the U.S., she was always thoroughly searched.
She visited the U.S. only weeks after the WTC terror attacks, which killed 3,000 people.
Meanwhile, lawyer and rights activist Frans Hendra Winarta suggested that the government share the information it received from the intelligence services with the public.
He pointed to how the U.S. and Australian governments always warned their citizens of possible acts of terror, including issuing travel warnings for countries considered vulnerable to terror attacks.
"I think our intelligence officers have the information but they keep it to themselves. Now see how dearly this has cost us. Many have died and many more are still only vaguely aware of the dangers of terrorism," Frans said.