Slipi blast -- who dunnit?

Slipi blast -- who dunnit?

Another blast, another puzzle and another mystery to solve. Do
people in Jakarta really care? Apparently not much.

Some major daily newspapers in Jakarta did not even bother to
report the explosion at the busy Slipi intersection on Wednesday
night which left 14 people injured.

The police predictably got into the act quickly and launched
an investigation and are expected to disclose the type of
explosives used in a few days. If we are lucky, they will
announce a long list of possible suspects. Otherwise, you can
count on the conspiracy theorists to come out with snap
explanations.

Police rarely finish the job when it comes to dealing with
bomb attacks in Jakarta. They have almost consistently failed to
shed any light on just about every bomb blast that has occurred
in the capital this past year. Even the few odd cases that have
made it to court have left more questions than answers.

At any other time, the Slipi explosion would have generated
some interest and panic among Jakartans. But judging by the way
many mainstream newspapers in the capital have relegated the
story into insignificance on Thursday reflects to a large extent
the increasing apathy, as well as the increasing feeling of
hopelessness, among the eight million Jakarta residents toward
bomb explosions in their midst.

Such bomb attacks are happening too frequently, and the
authorities have almost consistently come short of satisfactory
explanations about who were the perpetrators and what were their
motives. Even the 14 innocent passersby injured by shrapnel on
Wednesday have been reduced to mere statistics, joining the list
of casualties from other blasts in Jakarta over the past year.

The public's almost cold reaction to the Slipi blast may also
have been caused by the fact that they have seen or heard about
far more destructive bomb attacks occurring than the one in Slipi
on Wednesday. It paled in significance to the powerful blasts at
the Jakarta Stock Exchange building in September and the
simultaneous attacks at several churches in Jakarta on Christmas
Eve.

The only thing that these bomb attacks have in common is that
they failed to instill fear in busy Jakartans. One would have to
be very hard-pressed to find any other discernible patterns.

These attacks had no set pattern, in regard to the timing,
type of explosive used or targets. For all we know, there could
have been many perpetrators, each with completely different
motives. That makes it difficult for anyone, even experts, to
predict where and when the next bomb attack will happen.

This has not stopped conspiracy theorists from coming out with
explanations of who did it and why. Their usual suspects have
included supporters of former president Soeharto, remnants of the
New Order regime, opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid,
supporters of Abdurrahman Wahid, some loose cannons in the
military and the Aceh Free Movement (GAM). As long as they remain
mysterious, the rumor mills will never stop churning out the
theories.

While Jakarta residents appear to have internalized the
presence of bomb threats into their daily activities, this does
not mean that the authorities can relax and take their time in
resolving these cases. Alas, with our police force still in
tatters because of problems over leadership, resources, staffing
and morale, we can bet that the Slipi blast will never be
resolved satisfactorily. Like the previous bomb attacks, this
case will soon fade into oblivion.

Until our police can get their act together, Jakartans will
have to live with the constant threat that another bomb attack
could happen anytime, anywhere. The best they can do is hope, and
pray, that they will not be anywhere near the next explosion.