The Jakarta Post, December 24, 2003
Poso blast mars Xmas cheer
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A low explosive bomb went off on Tuesday in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso as
the nation readied for Christmas.
No fatalities were reported in the incident, but it sent strong message to police that
they had to tighten security nationwide in order to prevent any similar violent acts on
Christmas Day.
The bomb exploded in a field on Tuesday morning in front of the office of the
Lembomawo subdistrict head in Poso. No one was hurt, but shrapnel shattered the
windows of the office.
The bomb was spotted on a public transportation vehicle plying the Poso-Lembomawo
route by a passenger named Mince Muda. Mince, the last passenger to get off the
Daihatsu minibus in Lembomawo, saw a suspicious plastic package beneath a
passenger seat.
She asked Roy, the minibus driver, to take a look at the package. He did so, and was
shocked to find that it was a bomb.
He put the package in a field in front of the office of the Lembomawo subdistrict head
and immediately ran to the nearest Indonesian Military (TNI) outpost for assistance.
The bomb detonated before the TNI arrived, causing anxiety among residents of the
surrounding area.
Poso Police chief Adj. Comr. Abdi Dharma confirmed that the device was a low
explosive bomb.
"The bomb was aimed at provoking a riot in Poso," he told The Jakarta Post in Palu.
Alex, 30, a Christian activist with a crisis center here, said the Christian community
was unaffected by the incident and remained calm. Undeterred, they were busily
preparing for Christmas Day, arranging various activities such as a singing
competition.
Across the archipelago, the incident had little effect on the people as they merrily
prepared for Christmas.
In the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, which is predominantly Catholic,
hundreds of Catholics and Protestants rehearsed Christmas performances on
Tuesday in several big churches, including Masehi Injili and Pniel Oebobo churches.
Mass will be held on Wednesday, Christmas Eve.
Most public transportation drivers played Christmas carols as they shuttled people
about town.
A similar sense of joy also prevailed in the Papua capital of Jayapura. Jayapura
residents have begun decorating churches, their homes and schools with Christmas
decorations.
Papuans were seen on Tuesday painting their houses, while others put up their
Christmas trees and strung lamps.
"This is the way the Christians celebrate Christmas. The brighter light symbolizes a
brighter heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ," said Rev. Mano.
Shops and malls were packed by people tending to last-minute Christmas shopping.
As the people prepared to make merry, the National Police prepared to beef up
security over Christmas.
In the West Java capital of Bandung, West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Dadang
Garnida said local police would deploy 15,000 personnel to safeguard Christmas.
"As for a 'bloody Christmas', I hope this will not happen. The issue emerged during the
National Police chief's visit to Singapore, when the deputy prime minister of Singapore
brought it up," he said. He stressed that the issue was groundless.
Bombing attacks are a real threat, as at least 16 people were killed on Christmas Eve
2000 in coordinated bomb attacks on churches in several parts of the country.
Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said the local force would
thoroughly check any person who wished to enter churches in order to prevent the
possibility of a similar attack.
In Yogyakarta, police said they would sterilize churches and beef up security against
bombings. "Some 5,000 personnel, or two-thirds of our force, will be deployed to
safeguard Christmas Day," said Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Sudirman.
All in all, the National Police has vowed to deploy 248,662 personnel nationwide to
ensure peace and security over Christmas, said National Police deputy chief of public
relations Brig. Gen. Soenarko.
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