Let the law prevail
Let the law prevail
The death sentence, that was pronounced by the court on
Thursday in Denpasar for Amrozi bin Nurhasyim was an event of
major significance for various indisputable reasons. Indeed, both
the judgment and the circumstances that led to it can be regarded
as setting a new milestone in the country's history of
jurisprudence. After all, the Bali bombing tragedy on Oct. 12 --
that left at least 202 people dead last year -- was the jolt that
forced Indonesia out of its complacency and toward taking the
threat of terrorism seriously.
Yesterday's judgment, was made after some 50 witnesses were
heard in the court. It was the first verdict made under
Indonesia's tough new antiterrorism law, which was passed in the
wake of the Kuta bombing tragedy. The court is expected to pass
similar verdicts in the coming months. Among those that are
expected to go on trial are the other key suspects in the case,
two of Amrozy's brothers, Ali Ghufron and Ali Imron, as well as
the plot's alleged mastermind, Imam Samudra.
The severity of Thursday's court verdict was made even more
meaningful by the fact that it was passed just two days after a
car bomb of similar strength and composition -- and planted in
more or less the same method as the Bali bomb -- ripped through
the plush American-managed JW Marriott Hotel in Central Jakarta.
Ten people were killed and 149 injured. Much like the Bali bomb,
the Marriott bomb caused considerable damage to the hotel and its
immediate surroundings.
Given the timing, and the similarities of means and methods
employed in the Bali and Marriott blasts, it is difficult not to
read in the latter an ominous message to the government of
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, and to the panel of judges in
Denpasar. In fact, precisely such a message was reported to have
actually been delivered by an alleged Jamaah Islamiyah operative
to authorities in Singapore immediately after the Marriott
bombing. The message, according to the report, contained the
warning that the "murder" of any Jamaah member or associate would
be avenged in kind.
Whether or not such an assumption is correct is, of course,
open to question. After all, the Bali bombing suspects admitted
under interrogation that their main motive was to kill as many
foreigners as possible -- Americans in particular -- to avenge
the killings of Muslims and the injustices done to them in the
Middle East, and elsewhere in the world by the Western
"crusaders." Also, Indonesian police authorities have claimed
last week to have confiscated documents in Semarang, Central
Java, disclosing plans to attack certain areas in Central
Jakarta, including the area where the Marriott Hotel is located.
The link between Bali, Semarang and Jakarta, however, has not yet
been established.
Whatever the case may be, it is obvious that the government,
including the judicial authorities, cannot bow to such threats.
It is the government's duty to make sure that security prevails
in the community and that the lives and property of all citizens
and residents, regardless of race or creed, are protected.
Business must be assured a conducive climate for operations and
people must be able to go about their daily business in freedom
and safety. Murder, and mass murder in particular, can not be
condoned. By whatever arguments killers attempt to make in
justification of their acts, they must be punished in accordance
to the law.
It is for all these reasons that we believe that Indonesians
will understand the extreme verdict that was passed by the court
in Denpasar on Thursday. The Marriott blast was the latest deadly
bombing incident to disrupt the peace in this country. More
could follow. All that Indonesians can do under the present
circumstances is to remain vigilant, while hoping and praying
that the intelligence authorities will do their jobs and improve
their performance with speed and persistence.