Police call for close watch on Net surfers

Police call for close watch on Net surfers

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The City Police has called on Internet kiosk (warnet) owners to
keep a better record on people, especially unfamiliar ones, using
their services, as a part of preventive efforts to help wipe out
terrorism in the capital.

Apart from technical problems in the field, head of the City
Police Public Education Division Sr. Comr. Bambang Soerjo
Wardjoko said the measure was being taken in light of the
increased terror threat and the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel bombing
that killed 12 people and injured 147 others.

"Besides asking residents to be on the alert, warnet owners
should check the identity of people using computers at their
kiosks, especially those who are unknown to them," he said on
Tuesday in a released circular.

The police apparently did not care for the inconvenience the
measure would raise, because even is such a measure was applied,
it may ultimately be ineffective and warnet owners would be
reluctant to carry it out, as it was not obligatory.

National Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said
the measure was developed in response to the discovery that
terrorists used e-mail as a mode of communication within their
network.

"Imam Samudra, a key suspect in the Oct. 12, 2002 Bali
bombings ... surfed on the Internet while stopping over in
Surabaya and Cirebon, either to check on the latest news or to
contact his colleagues," he said.

The use of e-mail among terrorists was also highlighted by
Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere, a senior officer at National Police
Headquarters. Gorries told ABC radio station that police had
intercepted an e-mail from terrorist suspect Asmar to another
Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) suspect, in which he said he was going to
"get married," a JI code word for bombing.

Meanwhile, warnet owners lambasted the police measure, saying
it was ridiculous and would affect their business.

"The measure is quite ridiculous and cannot be justified no
matter what the reasons are," Michael Sunggiardi said.

Michael, who owns an Internet kiosk in Bogor, said the new
measure could be a blow to the business, as people might be
reluctant to come to warnet if they were aware that their
identities and Internet usage were being recorded on behalf of
the police.

Bambang said police had also asked landlords to observe their
tenants and any unfamiliar visitors.

The heads of community units (RW) and neighborhood units (RT)
were also required to put an alert out if any unfamiliar or
suspicious people were seen in their areas, as well as retain the
personal identity card of newcomers.

"If you see anything suspicious, you can report them
immediately to the nearest police station, or call 112," Bambang
said.