Lucrative prizes for the terrorists' head
Kornelius Purba, Jakarta
Dr. Azahari and others suspected of terrorism have stayed a step ahead of the police for two years. So, why haven't the police asked for the public's help to apprehend them?
It's a very serious matter for Indonesia and the international community: Terrorist attacks are claiming more victims, and no one knows when the killing will stop.
"Post sketches of him in public places so that people know what he looks like, and offer cash prizes for those who can lead the way to his arrest," said a friend, in a discussion about the savage bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday morning.
My friend cited the success of Thailand in capturing terror suspect Hambali last year. The Thai team received a US$10 million bounty from the United States. Should the same tactic be applied in Indonesia, there is a good chance that it would work.
Indonesian people love prizes, as proved by campaigns to attract shoppers to certain plazas and to sell products. Nothing reels them in like a lucky draw.
Police could learn from advertising agencies, who plaster pamphlets and posters on any available wall space. Or, would Governor Sutiyoso be disturbed by their prominence, rather than a prettier picture of city living?
Perhaps, police need to psychologically prepare for a little help from the public, and not feel slighted if, in the end, they can't take all the credit for catching the top suspect.
If National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar's conclusion is proven to be accurate -- that Malaysian-born fugitive Azahari bin Husin was responsible for the savage bombing in front of the Australian Embassy on Thursday, as well as previous terrorist attacks -- is it not possible that the notorious bomb maker killed innocent victims to ridicule the police, who regard him as Public Enemy No. 1?
Consider the following sequence of events:
Last Wednesday, journalists discovered National Police bomb squad chief Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere enjoying coffee with uncuffed convict Ali Imron -- who was sentenced to life for his role in the Bali bombings, in which 202 people were killed on Oct. 12, 2002 -- in a Starbucks cafe. Police insisted Ali was there partly to make him reveal the whereabouts of Azahari and his compatriot Noordin M. Top.
On Wednesday, Jakarta Police Headquarters started the construction of a 23-story building to house the counterterror detachment.
The bomb attack occurred about 20 minutes after Bachtiar assured the public in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) that everything was "OK" ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential election runoff.
Where is Azhari hiding now? Antara quoted Bachtiar as saying that the police had located the house where the two Malaysian terrorists were staying in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. They escaped -- probably while police were busy polishing up two sets of their best handcuffs. Previously, police claimed they had come close to arresting Azahari in Bandung, but the terrorists are slippery as eels said this newspaper's editorial on Sept. 6.
"Hi, here I am," Azahari apparently wanted to jeer at police with the bomb attack on Thursday.
After the Bali bombings and JW Marriot hotel bombing last year, police disseminated to the public -- via the media -- sketches of Azahari, Noordin and other suspected terrorists. A few weeks later, the public had forgotten their faces, but soon, the police will recommence the task of making those characteristics nationally recognizable.
The police often act like Indonesians who have recently been burgled. They tightly guard their houses for several days after the crime, however, as soon as they let their guard down, the thief strikes again.
We do believe that police are working hard to obtain more information about terror networks in Indonesia and arrest terrorists. With international cooperation, they achieved good results in investigating the Bali bombings and the Marriot attack.
Of course, we cannot solely blame the police for failing to protect us. The security of this country is a mammoth task -- in terms of population and geography -- which cannot be managed by the police alone. Likewise, we cannot blame police intelligence for their inability to track down the terrorists. After the Bali tragedy, President Megawati Soekarnoputri declared the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) responsible for the coordination of all intelligence units, including the Indonesian Military's (TNI).
But, why does Azahari -- whom police believe is still walking free in Indonesia -- remain untouchable? Speculation is rife, and many theories are likely absurd. Is it because Azahari is as slippery as an eel? Or is there another reason why he remains free?
The government must have the funds to finance a nationwide operation to bring Azahari and other suspected terrorists to justice. Involve the public. Foreign countries are also willing to help, as long as they are sure the money is really being spent on the operation. This suggestion is probably too naive and too simplistic. But we must move forward.
Perhaps, Azahari would laugh if he happened upon this article. But we must make all possible efforts to avoid the suffering of innocent victims and the severe impact of the terrorists' devilish acts on our country.
The author is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.