Officers who survived blast struggle to recover

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post/Singapore

The space next to the vending machine in front of Mount Elizabeth Hospital's critical care unit seemed reserved for the mother of National Police officer Second Brig. Asep Wahyudi. His parents have been waiting for more than seven weeks for their son to come out of his coma.

Asep suffered a severe head injury in the Sept. 9 bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

"The swelling in his head has gone down," said his mother, Nang Souna, as she waited for Asep to emerge from a minor operation to drain fluid from his head. "He's back to being Asep again."

The 20-year-old is now able to move his left hand and his mouth, and can even enjoy the luxury of a yawn. It is yet to be seen whether he will wake, but the hope, though small, is there.

Earlier another victim -- 16-year-old Mutia Rahmani Amalia -- had died in Singapore from complications resulting from chronic infection. Her death brought the Kuningan toll to 10.

Two of Asep's fellow policemen from the Mobile Brigade unit were also transferred to Singapore in mid-September for medical treatment by the Australian Embassy, and are recovering.

First Adj. Brig. Wahyu and Second Brig. Diki Maulana have already been discharged and now live in separate apartments 10 minutes' walk from the hospital for follow-up treatment.

Wahyu is taking physiotherapy for his right leg -- the one Indonesian doctors had considered amputating due to the damage.

"My doctor here says I can walk again," said Wahyu.

His colleague, Diki, had suffered internal injuries to his vital organs, and had blood in his lungs. "His breathing is much better now," said his father, Muchtar.

The two policemen looked thin, but well when The Jakarta Post and Kompas visited their apartments over the weekend. However, their scars are also emotional and psychological.

"I'd rather be assigned to a desk job," said Diki. "I don't want to work in Jakarta anymore."

Wahyu also wants to return to his hometown in Yogyakarta. "All I want is peace," said the father of one, who is expecting a second child in five months.

The injured victims and their families hail the Australian Embassy for its continued support -- both financial and moral.

"They visited us every day," said Muchtar. "They even accompanied us on our doctors' visits to help with the translation, as we don't speak English."

Representatives of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore have has also visited the policemen several times.

"The first time they came was a month after we had arrived," said Wahyu. "They said they had just found out we were here."

For the policemen's families, what matters most is not the financial support.

"It would be nice to get some attention, to have someone to talk to," said Souna. For her, the days ahead seem weary and frustrating as she waits for a change in the condition of her son, who is still struggling in the critical care unit.