'Our sense of humanity is already dead'

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The "public show" displayed by National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Bali bombing suspect Amrozi during their face-to- face meeting on Wednesday has sparked outrage from analysts here, who lament what they called an insult to humanity.

They said on Thursday the way the police chief and a man who confessed to helping plan the killing of 190 people shook hands, laughed and posed for photographs, cast doubt over the seriousness of the country's security authorities in investigating the bomb attack.

The one-hour meeting at the Bali police headquarters on Wednesday also drew criticism that Da'i was trying to take credit for the breakthrough in the case, away from his subordinates, who are investigating the case currently under international spotlight.

"I am disappointed with the appearance of Da'i together with Amrozi as they looked like friends. It is one of the worst signals for Indonesia in dealing with the bombing suspect," M. said Riefqi Muna, a defense analyst with the Research Institute for Democracy and Peace (RIDeP).

Also, socio-political analyst Fachry Ali called on Thursday the meeting "a publicly open theater in which Amrozi was the main actor, not Da'i".

Australians too were outraged by the images of the smiling, waving bomber -- televised across Australia and splashed across front pages.

Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer lashed out at the images as "ugly images" that would distress relatives of the over 190 people killed.

"I looked at him on television this morning, you know laughing and joking and waving, and I think to myself, how would I feel if one of my children, or another one of my family members or a loved one had been killed?" Downer told reporters.

"I think these people are so bloodthirsty. Their sort of ugly, sneering, amused attitude at the slaughter of innocent people, it's just horrific that there are people like that."

Australian opposition leader Simon Crean described Amrozi's public interrogation as bizarre and insensitive.

Such jovial greetings were also bestowed on high-profile murder suspect Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, (later found guilty sentenced to 15 years) when he was hugged by broad-smiling Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb as the former was brought to the police headquarters following his capture after a year on the run last November. Afterwards, both Sofjan and Tommy appeared in a joint press conference which looked more like a welcome party for Tommy who Sofjan had once called, "a very dangerous man".

Riefqi described the gesture by Da'i in the meeting as "part of the police's lack of professionalism" in the inquiry of the devastating Bali attack.

"By the laughter displayed at the event, it does not help the process of punishing violent offenders, because a person who confesses guilt in a crime can still be received like a friend by the police. This shows that our sense of humanity is already dead," Riefqi told The Jakarta Post.

The meeting, in which Da'i questioned Amrozi -- the only suspect in custody so far for the terrorist attack on Bali -- was held in a room with windows, allowing scores of journalists and others to look on. Amrozi had his handcuffs taken off and wore his detention uniform during the questioning.

Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika, head of the multinational team investigating the case, and his spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang were also there. However, they were not involved in the dialog, instead Da'i was accompanied by his close aide Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen, who was recently acquitted of human rights violations in East Timor by an ad hoc court.

In a news conference held after Wednesday's showcase with Amrozi, the police chief also appeared alone to speak to a crowd of waiting journalists.

Questions were swirling over why Da'i was not accompanied at the event by Pastika and Aritonang they were the police officers most responsible for the Bali bombing inquiry.

Da'i defended on Thursday his controversial gesture in the questioning, saying it was aimed at dispelling suspicion that the police were orchestrating the Bali bombing probe.

"We had to be relaxed and use a psychological method in the interrogation so Amrozi would speak out," he said.

The police general said he met the suspect to show to the public that Amrozi was indeed the man the police had hunted for and that the arrest was not manipulated.

Riefqi said Da'i should have involved the investigators in charge in order to show that the probe was serious and not just a circus.

"It is the same as the old security officers who always wanted to steal the credit from their subordinates, especially in major criminal cases," he said.

"That's common within our security authorities. Remember the case of Tommy," he added.

Riefqi said the meeting was probably aimed at showing to the people that the police treated Amrozi properly in the investigation following widespread public suspicion and speculation that the East Javanese suspect was forced to admit to the bombing.

"But the way they presented it was absurd," he stressed.