Piecing our lives together

One month has passed since the Bali bombing tragedy, which not only killed more than 190 people and injured dozens of others, but also changed the lives of people in this country. In spite of the many warnings about imminent terrorist attacks in our country, the tragedy still took the nation by surprise.

Before Oct. 12, few wanted to believe that a terrorist attack on the devastating scale as that in Bali would have been possible in this country. Even those who had accepted the likelihood of terrorists striking Indonesia never expected that, when the attack took place, it would deal such a heavy blow.

The impact of the Oct. 12 bombing has not only been felt in Bali, but also the rest of Indonesia, a number of countries in the region, including Australia, which lost more than 90 of its citizens, and other countries, whose citizens were among the victims of the Bali bomb blast.

It must be admitted that, in retrospect, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., anything could have been possible. The Oct. 12 tragedy has only confirmed our fear that terrorists attack indiscriminately, killing innocent people, or what experts like to call "soft targets".

The people of Indonesia, and especially the people of Bali, will bear most of the brunt of the Oct. 12 tragedy. The nation must come to terms with the economic and political fallout. We ain't seen nothin' yet: The fallout has yet to run its full course. But it has reared its ugly head.

For a start, Indonesia's reputation is now in question. Many travel advisories issued by foreign governments, cautioning their citizens to avoid Indonesia, amount to a huge vote of no confidence in the ability of the Indonesian government to deal with the threat of terrorism, and therefore fulfill its responsibility to protect lives and property.

Tourism is the first economic sector to have felt the pinch, as foreign tourists now shun Indonesia. This is the sector that not only brings in huge foreign exchange revenues to the country, but also one on which millions of people pin their lives.

This, in turn, will trigger more unemployment and even more poverty, just as we thought the country was about to begin the process of recovery after the devastating 1997 economic crisis. Before the Bali bombing, many investors, both local and foreign, had stayed on the sidelines, waiting for things to improve. After Bali, they might abandon all hope whatsoever and take their money elsewhere.

Politically, the nation has become more polarized on how it should deal with the threat of terrorism. Speculation abounds about the perpetrators and the motives of the bomb attacks. This nation seems to have no shortage of so-called experts willing to share their conspiracy theories with the public.

There is also the "Islam factor", which inevitably always creeps into every debate, whether about the investigation itself, or about the new measures to deal with the threat of terrorism.

Our preoccupation with terrorism since Oct. 12 has virtually put on hold the nation's agenda for reform. In some cases, we have even taken a step backwards. A case in point is the government's new counterterrorism regulation, not dissimilar to the old draconian law on subversion, which we repealed in 1999 because it was widely abused.

The terrorists, whoever they might be, appear to have gotten much more than they bargained for. With one powerful explosion, they have caused such havoc in our lives, on the life of this nation, and on our relations with other nations.

How soon can we rebuild our shattered lives? That, to a large extent, hinges on how soon can the government, in this case the police, solve the Bali bombing puzzle. Until we find a credible explanation about the perpetrators and their motives, we will not feel safe going about our daily business.

To its credit, the joint police investigation team, which includes Australians and other foreign experts, has been working hard since the tragedy struck one month ago. Its daily briefing to the media has kept the nation abreast of progress, or even lack of progress, and the challenges the team faces.

The police claimed a major breakthrough last week with the arrest of a suspect. From the confession of Amrozi, the owner of the van used in the bombing, the police have identified 10 possible accomplices, the type of explosives bought by the suspect and the locations at which the bombing was supposed to have been planned.

The police explanation, however, is not beyond challenge from an already skeptical public. Their explanation, based on the confession of only one suspect, contains many holes, and at times, has even contradicted earlier findings, such as the type of explosives used.

Time, indeed, is essential here, for the sooner the police solve the case, the sooner we can all get back to our normal routine in peace. But credibility is much more important than speed. The public is willing to give the police more time, as long as they show some progress, and, above all, credibility in their work.