The usual suspects
The usual suspects
The bomb explosion at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX)
building on Wednesday has set off another police investigation,
which, in all likelihood, will end up going the same way as other
investigations into recent atrocities: nowhere. With the police
still in the dark about the blast outside the Philippine Embassy
in Jakarta on Aug. 1, there is every reason to think that this
probe will be just as fruitless and frustrating.
The bombing of the JSX building was yet another act of
cowardice designed to instill terror and confusion in a nation
already deeply entrenched in political and economic crises.
Terrorist organizations at least have the courtesy to take
responsibility for their acts, because their objective is to gain
maximum publicity. The people behind the attacks in Jakarta have
chosen to remain silent because their objective is to confuse,
and, ultimately, keep the nation unstable.
That is how little we know about the perpetrators and it is
hardly comforting. The question being widely asked by the public
today is not so much "who dunnit?", as "when and where the next
attack will be?" The target and timing of the bombings appear to
have been picked at random; the next attack could really be
anywhere and at anytime.
In the absence of any credible explanation by the police or
the government for the explosions, the nation has fallen back on
its favorite pastimes of speculating and scapegoating. The usual
suspects these days are "supporters of former president
Soeharto". This new piece of shorthand replaces "agents
provocateurs" or just "provocateurs" to describe the dark evil
forces that are stirring troubles across the country. Whereas
during the Soeharto regime, the usual suspects were the "remnants
of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)" or just "communists",
who between them were blamed for everything that went wrong in
the country.
The term "supporters of Soeharto" may be a little more
definitive than "provocateurs" but it is not definitive enough
for the authorities to take any action. For one thing, the term
could refer to just about any person or group not necessarily in
the immediate circle of the former president. Second, even if
their identities were known, police would still have to come up
with evidence to be able to prosecute them.
As faceless and nameless as these "supporters of Soeharto"
are, the speculation about their role in bomb attacks in Jakarta
and elsewhere in the country is well grounded. They have the
financial resources and in all probability the organizational
network to conduct such evil operations. They are certainly well
trained and highly experienced in these kinds of things.
Soeharto's New Order regime was notorious for its covert
operations to undermine and destroy its political opponents.
They also have a motive, if their intermediate goal is to keep
Indonesia unstable. The last thing they want is for Indonesia to
become peaceful and stable, for that will allow its
democratically elected government to prosecute Soeharto and
members of his regime for the atrocities and corruption committed
during the New Order's 32-year rein. They are the only groups in
the country to really profit from the chaos that is being
created.
As sure as this speculation and these theories may sound
however, they are of little use to the police in resolving the
cases or in preventing or anticipating further attacks. Police
still have to come up with the necessary evidence to bring the
perpetrators, who ever they may turn out to be, to justice.
The bomb attacks have once again exposed that the police's
investigation and intelligence capabilities to be grossly
inadequate. Until the government and the police improve their
act, the nation will continue to indulge in endless speculation
and theorizing about the usual suspects in these unexplained
attacks. And while speculation and theorizing may not solve the
problems, they certainly help keep the nation sane in these
increasingly insane times.