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Tragedy in Bali Two bombs exploded in Bali on
Saturday, Oct. 12. One bomb exploded in downtown Denpasar, Bali’s capital,
about 100 meters from the US consulate. There were no casualties. The second
bomb exploded in the Kuta Beach area, a popular tourist resort. The explosion
destroyed Paddy’s discotheque and the Sari Club, killing at least 182 people,
including many foreigners, and injuring hundreds others. No group has claimed
responsible. As usual, there have been many
reactions from different quarters at home and abroad. World leaders condemn
the bombings. Many world’s leading newspapers criticise Indonesian government
for failing to respond to terrorism. President Megawati Soekarnoputri said
her government "strongly condemned the act of bombing". Among the
condemnations and the criticisms were speculations on who were the actors and
the masterminds of the terror. Al Qaida, international Jewish network and
nationalist fraction within Indonesian military have been mentioned as
possible groups behind the explosions. Whoever did it, it certainly hurts
our deepest sense of humanity. INFID, together with several other
organisations, is organising a solidarity night to show its deepest
condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims. This "Evening
for Reflection" is also an invitation, to all elements of the civil
society, to strengthen their commitment and to support each other in their
efforts in combating all acts of violence. The solidarity night will be
taking place at Tugu Proklamasi, Menteng, Jakarta on October 19, 2002. For
more information on this event, please contact INFID Secretariat in Jakarta. For
news on the Bali tragedy, please visit http://www.infid.be/bali_tragedy.htm. The statement below is a join
statement by Indonesian citizens concerning the bomb blast. Joint Statement of Concern on the Human Tragedy in
Bali The bomb blast took place in Bali
on October 12, 2002 (Saturday night) is not only the worst act of terror ever
occurred in Indonesia; it is a human tragedy that causes pains to the
families of the victims of various nations. This incident reminds us that
acts of violence and terror threaten the basic values of humanity regardless
of country’s borders and social group boundaries. It is in such difficult
times that we should find the momentum to show our solidarity to fellow human
beings. This incident will clearly put Indonesia in a difficult position
internationally and will especially expose its people to a more difficult
situation. The fact that there is no act of terror has seriously been
handled, including various recent human incidents, has made peoples live in
fear and uncertainty. This bomb blast reveals how
fragile Indonesia’s law enforcement system and national security surety are,
including the incapability of intelligence system to detect threats. It is at
once a manifestation of government’s failure and lack of seriousness to
tackle previous acts of terror. Until now, no mastermind has been caught and
brought into justice. Those who are punished are only the perpetrators in the
field. The state’s lack of seriousness in investigating and bringing the real
perpetrators to justice means that the state has contributed to the act of
terror (state-sponsored terrorism). This situation indicates that the
masterminds are still roaming freely without any worries about being punished
as the consequence of their culpability. To tolerate this means giving the
chance to another act of terror to happen. Therefore, we would like to convey
a few things as follows: We are deeply concerned with the
terror incident and bomb blast in Bali. We condoled with both Indonesian and
non-Indonesian families of the victims over the loss of their dear ones. With the increasing threats of
terror, all elements of both Indonesian and international society need to
combine their compassion, uniting human solidarity regardless of nationality
and social group boundaries. We urge for the formation of an
independent international fact finding mission that consists of
representatives from various countries, including Indonesia, as a
manifestation of Indonesia’s responsibility towards international society and
as an effort to increase the limited capacity of state apparatus. Jakarta, October 14, 2002 Signatories:
INFID News New Board The 13th INFID Conference took
place in Yogyakarta on Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 2002 has produced a statement that
is currently being finalised. The statement will be available soon in INFID’s
websites. INFID will also publish a book on the results of the conference. The General Assembly meeting that
followed after the conference has successfully elected new board members for
the period 2002-2004. The new board members are: Indonesian Board Members: Dadang Trisasongko (Yayasan
Kemala) Non-Indonesian Board Members: Filomena Santa Anna III (AER) INFID Related Issues CGI Meeting postponed The Indonesian government and the
World Bank said in a joint statement on Oct. 16 that the CGI talks was
rescheduled for an evaluation of the effects of the bomb attack on the
country's economy and budget. The government and the CGI have also agreed to
meet informally at the end of October to assess loans for the 2003 budget. The
CGI meeting was scheduled for October 28-29 in Yogyakarta. Umar Juworo, the director for the
Center of International, Development, Economy Studies, said the meeting delay
"will certainly have its negative influence on indicators of the
economy." He was worried it "will enable the creditors to condition
their aid on the government's response to terrorism." Source: AFP 17/10 General News Laskar Jihad disbands A militant Islamic group has
closed its headquarters and disbanded, according to media reports on Oct. 16.
The official Antara news agency said the groups’s headquaters in Yogyakarta
had been shuttered and "all activities are stopped". Metro
Television, a Jakarta broadcaster, said the group had been disbanded. The
group’s lawyer, Mahendratta, who is also the co-ordinator of the Muslim
Lawyers Team (TPM), confirmed the reports. He said Jafar Umar Talib, the
leader of Laskar Jihad, would turn into a leader of religious proselytising (dakwah)
in his Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Yogyakarta. According to
him, the group’s decision to disband themselves was a follow-up of its
agreement with the government to withdraw their fighters from Maluku. Abu
Takyan, a leader of Laskar Jihad in Solo, also confirmed that the group had
been disbanded. Jamal, who commanded Laskar Jihad in South Sulawesi, said the
group had been disbanded because of financial reason. He also said more than
1,000 of its member in South Sulawesi have returned to their home. About 700
of the group’s fighters in Maluku have also been sent home. The internet site
of Laskar Jihad, www.laskarjihad.or.id , has been closed since Oct. 15. Source: Reuters 15/10, Dc 15/10 Akbar Tanjung Coordinating Minister for People’s
Welfare Yusuf Kalla has expressed his desire to take over the leadership of
Golkar Party from embattled incumbent chairman Akbar Tanjung, who is under
mounting pressure to resign after being found guilty of corruption. He said
he would think it over if the Golkar executive board wished him to take it
over. But Akbar is no quitter. On Oct. 12 Akbar, who is also speaker of the
House of Representatives, said he was ready to lead the party from prison
should his corruption conviction be upheld by the Supreme Court. Central
Jakarta District Court on Sept. 4 sentenced him to three years in jail for
corruption, but he is appealing the verdict and remains free. Sources: LN 13/10 16/10 Regional News Aceh Acehnese figures welcomed a
proposal to allow the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to participate in
elections, saying it would bolster efforts for a peaceful and fair solution
to problems in the province. The idea to give GAM a chance to participate in
elections was aired by Smita Notosusanto from the Centre for Electoral Reform
(Cetro). She said GAM should be put to the test to determine whether or not
it really enjoy widespread support from the people, and that an election
could serve as a test for GAM as to whether or not it could solicit support
through peaceful means. But a GAM spokesperson, Teuku Kamaruzzaman, rejected
the idea. He said the conflict in Aceh was not a social conflict and
therefore the proposal would not solve the problems. He said the most
accurate solution was a self-determination vote through a referendum, to see
whether or not people in Aceh want independence. Source: JP 15/10 Abbreviations AFP Agence France-Presse Stichting TitanE |
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