We may have to trust police in Bali inquiry

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, korpur@yahoo.com

Over the weekend a number of Jakartans received a surprising short message service (SMS): "The police have announced that Amrozi, who has been declared the prime suspect in the Bali blast, has also been found responsible for last week's eruption of Mount Papandayan in Garut, West Java."

Of course, this was just a sarcastic joke. But it reflects the public distrust of the police. Learning from past experience, many people remain doubtful of the announcement by National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar that Amrozi is the principal suspect in the Bali attack.

In the past, the police have often arrested or interrogated suspects in major criminal cases -- cases that then evaporated without explanation. That is why many people are skeptical about the police's progress in their search for the perpetrators of the Bali massacre.

Police credibility took a further hit on Wednesday, when a smiling Amrozi was interrogated by Gen. Da'i in front of the cameras at the Bali Police Headquarters in Denpasar. The event called into question the seriousness of the interrogation and the entire police effort, while the scene contradicted the grief and shock that followed the bombings.

"I think they're ugly images," Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said of the grinning Amrozi being question by Da'i.

Despite the strong distrust of the police and Da'i's misstep in Bali, some people are beginning to think that the police might be on the right track in investigating the Bali tragedy. Scholars, intelligence experts and state intelligence agencies such as the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) have gradually toned down their criticism of the police. BIN chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Hendropriyono has signaled his appreciation for the police, while his subordinates no longer boast that they will soon find the people responsible for the bombing.

Even those who were initially confident that there was no terrorist link here, including Vice President Hamzah Haz, have had to admit that they were not completely right. While we may doubt police statements, at least there is now a clearer picture (if not necessarily accurate) about the motives for the conflicts in Maluku and Poso, and the explosions that have taken place across the country.

So in regard to the investigation into Oct. 12, will the police disappoint the nation again? At the least, the police chief has shown to Papua Governor Jaap Salossa that he is ready to concede his mistakes. This particular mistake was when Da'i ignored procedures in appointing Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo as the Papua Police chief, replacing Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, who is now heading the joint inquiry team investigating the Oct. 12 Bali bombings.

According to Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua, the appointment of a new provincial police chief must receive prior approval from the governor. The governor was angry about Budi's appointment because he was never consulted.

While his subordinates were busy finding pretexts to defend their boss, Gen. Da'i immediately apologized to the governor. Case settled. Very few Indonesian leaders are willing to publicly acknowledge their errors, so Da'i should be commended.

Back to Bali, where the members of the joint investigative team are not only from Indonesia but also from overseas, particularly from countries whose citizens were killed in the bombing. Members of this multinational inquiry team surely would not allow the Indonesian police to manipulate findings, while Indonesians hope the team will carry out its work objectively.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is under strong international pressure to investigate the bloodbath and punish those responsible for the barbaric act. If she fails to satisfy the public's sense of justice, Indonesia will remain a pariah in international community.

Failure would not only be costly for Megawati's political survival but also for the existence of the nation.

The police also are under pressure to prove they can work effectively after their separation from the Indonesian Military (TNI). And Da'i's reputation is also at stake.

The team itself is led by Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, who succeeded in concluding the alleged involvement of members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in the murder of proindependence Papuan leader Dorthey "Theys" Hiyo Eluay last year. His team also uncovered the alleged involvement of Kopassus members in the attack in Timika, Papua, last August that left two Americans and one Indonesia dead.

The police now have a golden opportunity to show to the nation that with their separation from the TNI, they can work much more effectively and fruitfully. They need to prove that they are not only able to arrest chicken thieves and extort money from motorists, but also can restore the nation's dignity in the eyes of the international community.

The leaders of the TNI are also expected to show their statesmanship by fully assisting police in the investigation. Success in the investigation also would be very helpful in correcting cynical international perceptions of the TNI, which is often associated with major security disturbances.

It is too early to conclude that the police will be able to resolve the Bali case. However, it is also premature to conclude they are too incompetent to find the truth. But to be fair, it would be much better for the nation if the police were given more time to conclude their inquiry.

Indonesia's future is largely dependent on the government's ability and willingness to resolve the Bali tragedy -- which will require a police force confident of its professionalism. The world is impatiently awaiting concrete evidence from Indonesia that it deserves to be regarded as a respectable nation on the world map.

If the government, including the police, is able to uphold justice in the Bali case, the nation will have a better chance of regaining its lost reputation. So we may have to trust the police in their mission to find the truth.