Paras Indonesia, 01, 04 2006 @ 05:25 am
Still No Suspects in Palu Bombing
Posted by: Roy Tupai
Police say they still have no suspects in the December 31 bombing that killed seven
people at a Christian market in Palu, Central Sulawesi, although they are continuing
to intensively question a man detained on the day of the blast.
The man, identified as Mulyono (38), is yet to be formally declared a suspect. Under
the country's anti-terror laws, police have until Saturday (7/1/06) to either charge or
release him.
More than 50 people have also been questioned over New Year's Eve bombing, which
occurred at about 7.05am local time inside a compound of kiosks selling pork, dog
meat and other types of meat at the traditional market on Jalan Pulau Sulawesi in
Maesa village. Locals said the death toll would likely have been much higher if the
blast had occurred at 8.30am, when the market is usually at its busiest.
The targeted kiosks are located outside a pig slaughterhouse and about 20 meters
across the road from the Bethel Protestant Church, which was guarded by six police
at the time of the blast.
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brigadier General Oegroseno has said Mulyono was a
newcomer to Palu and had been picked up about 500 meters away from the scene of
the blast. Witnesses reportedly said they had seen him wandering about the market
the night before the attack. Some reports said Mulyono was a supplier of pork to the
market.
National Police deputy spokesman Senior Commissioner Anton Bahrul Alam on
Tuesday said Mulyono would be questioned together with various witnesses in an
effort to ascertain why he had been at the market before the blast.
"We have not yet declared him a suspect because we still need proof and sufficient
witnesses. We still have until the end of the week," he was quoted as saying by
detikcom online news portal.
The market has remained closed following the blast and police have set up roadblocks
and tightened security on the streets.
The seven fatalities included four customers and three vendors. They were identified
as Chief Sergeant Tasman Lahansang (40) and his wife Poste Dinamanis (42), Yoppie
Mononege (42) and his wife Meisye (39), Bambang Wiyono Saputra (50), Yakulina
Timang (45) and Agustina Ester Mande (37).
Police said the bomb had been brought to the market by people traveling in a vehicle,
the type of which was yet to be established. "The car stopped once and the bomb
exploded a few minutes after it had left the location," National Police spokesman
Senior Commissioner Bambang Kuncoko was quoted as saying by state news
agency Antara.
'Different From Tentena Bomb'
Human rights activists suspect the bombing might have been carried out by a
shadowy group called Tim Bunga (Flower Team), which they claim was also behind
twin bomb blasts in May 2005 that killed 22 people at a Christian market in Central
Sulawesi's Tentena district.
But police said the materials used in the two attacks were different, so it was
premature to link the bombings.
Alam said the Palu bomb's ingredients included the head of a mortar round and ball
bearings, while potassium chlorate, sulfur and aluminum were found at the site.
He said the materials used in the Tentena blasts included TNT, potassium chlorate,
sulfur and nails. Another difference, he added, was that the Tentena bombs were
encased in metal pipes.
But he conceded there was at least one similarity in the attacks - on both occasions
the bombs were placed in black plastic bags.
Alam said police were yet to identify the trigger that was used to detonate the Palu
bomb. After the blast, officers found and defused a second bomb in the same
location.
The Tentena bombs were triggered by a detonator consisting of pentaerythritol
tetranitrate (PETN) - a standard military explosive.
No Replacement of Local Police Chief
National Police chief General Sutanto on Monday brushed aside calls for the
replacement of Central Sulawesi Police chief Oegroseno despite his failure to protect
the province from terror attacks.
"No replacement. What has to be done is strengthening the police force," he was
quoted as saying by Antara after attending a limited cabinet meeting on political, legal
and security affairs.
He said police were doing their best to find the perpetrators of the bombing.
"Therefore, we have sent police reinforcements from the national headquarters to Palu
to strengthen the force there."
Sutanto declined to mention the number of reinforcements, but said it was "quite
adequate" to assist with the ongoing investigation.
He declined to speculate on who might have been responsible for the blast and said
the public should also avoid speculation. "We don't have to make accusations. Just
trust the police to conduct the investigation. All of us wish to uncover the incident as
soon as possible," he said.
Motive
As for the motive of the bombing, police said it was an effort to reignite tensions in the
restive province, which has been the scene of deadly Christian-Muslim violence over
the past five years.
Oegroseno said the bombers had probably intended to attack one of the churches in
the area but changed their target due to high security levels at the houses of worship.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adisutjipto has
said the attack could have been the work of a "terrorist network" but declined to be
more specific.
He said the blast was almost certainly linked to previous terror attacks and shootings
in Central Sulawesi. He urged the government to pay greater attention to maintaining
security in the province due to the frequency of terrorist actions. "Intelligence and law
enforcement must receive special attention, by increasing the capacity and the
strength of the security forces," he was quoted as saying by detikcom.
The minister also said the government should consider forming a special task force to
protect Palu and other areas in Central Sulawesi from further terror attacks.
Police in Jakarta said the bombing probably wasn't the work of fugitive Malaysian
terrorist Noordin Mohammad Top, a senior member of regional terror network Jemaah
Islamiyah, because the group uses different explosives and tends to go after
high-profile foreign targets.
Sutanto traveled to Palu on Sunday to order local police to work harder to find the
perpetrators of the latest bombing and other attacks in the Central Sulawesi. He said
armed violence, including bomb blasts, had become a real cause for concern in the
province over recent years.
All levels of police personnel must increase their alertness to prevent further attacks
and should not hesitate in taking firm measures in upholding the law, he said.
"Cooperation with other security authorities finding the terror perpetrators must be
intensified," he added.
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