'Too bad victims were Indonesians'
'Too bad victims were Indonesians'
The police are searching for the perpetrators of last week's
bombing at the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta,
which killed at least nine people and injured more than 180
others. The police have said many of the suspects in this bombing
also are suspected of involvement in the Bali bombings in 2002
and the Marriott Hotel attack in 2003. The Jakarta Post asked
some residents for their opinion on the issue.
Santi Agustin, 32, is a housewife and part-time flight
attendant. She lives in Bintaro, Tangerang, with her husband and
two children:
The bombing has terrified me. Because I will be scheduled to
fly in the next few months, I'm scared that the terrorists might
try something like the WTC tragedy in New York. But I still
believe that security at airports is tighter now.
The most important thing right now is that the police must
arrest the perpetrators. The police must also not be careless in
guarding public places.
After last year's Marriott bombing, security at public places
such as malls and hospitals was beefed up, but it started to
loosen in the last few months. That's why we had another attack.
I don't think the terrorists are stupid.
It is too bad that most of the victims were innocent
Indonesians who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong
time.
Yusak, 46, is a taxi driver. He lives with his family in Duren
Tiga, South Jakarta:
I wonder about our intelligence services and their ability to
prevent bombings, given that there has been at least one bombing
every year for the last four years. Haven't they learned
anything?
Although people were still out at public places after the
bombings, their numbers were drastically down.
The first day after the Sept. 9 bombing, I only earned Rp
40,000 (US$4.35) from three passengers. I usually take home Rp
80,000 after paying the taxi rental fee.
That should tell the security officers one thing: We are
living in fear. And that they have failed to do their job.
--The Jakarta Post