SBS, October 12, 2005
Inside Indonesia's War on Terror
Today - as you would almost certainly know - is the third anniversary of the first Bali
bombing and our major report tonight provides an alarming twist to the ongoing terror
campaign being waged in Indonesia. David O'Shea, a long-time "Indonesia-watcher",
reports that where terrorism is concerned in that country - with its culture of corruption
within the military, the police, the intelligence services and politics itself - all is never
quite what it seems.
REPORTER: David O’Shea
When the second Bali bomb exploded, Australia once again found itself on the front
line in the war on terror. But for Indonesians, this was simply the latest in a long line
of atrocities. They have born the brunt of hundreds of attacks over the years, most of
them unreported in the West.
Once again Australia and Indonesia joined forces in the hunt for the Bali killers.
SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, INDONEASIAN PREIDENT: We are determined
to continuously fight terrorism in Indonesia with an effective global, regional and
international cooperation.
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Tragic incidents such as this so
far from driving apart the people of Australia and Indonesia would only bring us closer
together.
This show of unity is impressive and it plays well to Australian audiences but many
Indonesians don't see it that way.
JOHN MEMPI, SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST (Translation): Why this
endless violence? Why are there acts of terrorism year in, year out? Regimes change,
governments change, but violence continues. Why?
Because there is a sort of shadow state in this country. A state within a state ruling
this country.
For seven years I've reported from every corner of this vast nation and seen first hand
the havoc that terrorists wreak. Tonight I want to tell you a very different story about
Indonesia's war on terror. It contains many disturbing allegations even from a former
president.
ABDURRAHMAN WAHID, FORMER INDONESIAN PRESIDENT: The Australians if
they get the truth, I think it's a grave mistake.
REPORTER: What do you mean?
ABDURRAHMAN WAHID: Yeah, who knows that the owners to do this, to do that --
orders to do this, to do that came from within our own forces, not from the culprits,
from the fundamentalist people.
(1) TERRORISM - THE CASH COW:
Indonesia's police are doing very nicely, thank you very much, out of the war on terror.
They now have all the latest equipment, courtesy of the millions of dollars pouring in
from the West.
The money ensures the world's most populous Muslim nation remains on side in the
fight against terrorism.
Mastering all of this new technology represents a steep learning curve for the
Indonesian police. Unfortunately today they forget to set up the X-ray machine
properly.
POLICE (Translation): Is the film in?
POLICE 2 (Translation): I haven't put it in yet.
Luckily there's an old print lying around from a previous exercise.
Because of the war on terror, American and Australian support for the Indonesian
police has never been stronger.
During Dai Bachtiar's 5-year reign as police chief, Indonesia endured countless act of
terror including three major ones - in Bali, then the Marriott Hotel and the Australian
Embassy in Jakarta. These massive blasts might have forced the resignation of any
other senior official but Dai Bachtiar managed to survive with the backing of powerful
friends at home and abroad.
POLICE CHIEF (Translation): I met Paul Wolfowitz.
In Indonesia's parliament earlier this year, I found the police chief boasting about how
he gets the star treatment when he visits Washington.
POLICE CHIEF (Translation): I went to Washington, to the White Hosue, to the West
Wing. I spoke to Colin Powell in his office. I went to the Pentagon, I met the director
of the CIA, the director of the FBI, I met them all.
Indonesia's police are in charge of the war on terror. Years of human rights abuse by
the Indonesian military, or TNI, mean it's now out of favour in Washington, but it
seems the police can do no wrong.
POLICE CHIEF (Translation): I asked Powell. "You say the TNI has to reform, don't
the police have to as well?" Building trust takes time.
Many Indonesians would find the idea of trusting the police laughable. It has long been
regarded as one of the most corrupt and incompetent institutions in the country.
Former president, Abdurrahman Wahid sums up what many people here belief.
ABDURRAHMAN WAHID: All of them are liars.
REPORTER: Just to be clear, you have your doubts about the police ability to
investigate properly all of this?
ABDURRAHMAN WAHID: Oh, yes.
But none of this seems to worry Indonesia's allies in the war on terror.
POLICE (Translation): Have you just got back?
DAI-BACHTIAR, POLICE CHIEF (Translation): I see this man a lot.
POLICE (Translation): Were you in America? Did you get any more money?
DAI-BACHTIAR (Translation): 10 million. We get big bucks. We got 50 million all up.
Sure. They keep asking about 88.
That's Detachment 88, the police counter-terror unit which receives a great deal of the
international aid, including substantial assistance from Australia.
Like the military, Detachment 88 is controversial. Its members stand accused of
repeatedly using torture in interrogation of suspects. But these allegations don't seem
to even raise an eyebrow.
DAI-BACHTIAR (Translation): The Secretary-General of Interpol came to visit Aceh. I
met him. He said our police were dealing with terrorism in a professional manner. 500
million euros. For the police. Long term. So far I've received directly 500 from
Denmark. They gave 5, but 500 all up. The Dutch gave 2.
The money is flowing like water but outside the chamber, unrelated to the anti-terror
funding, is a scene that should make donors think twice.
A man from the Religious Affairs Commission sitting next door counts cash to be
distributed amongst voting politicians. Call it corruption or even the trickle down effect,
but it's this kind of informal funds distribution which keeps the wheels turning in the
Indonesian economy.
DAI-BACHTIAR (Translation): Well now, for example, the other day I got 2 million from
Holland... From America... it was 50. Is it 50 already? You know how much the army
got? 600. Then they had to get involved.
With all the cash flowing about, some politicians want to stay as close as possible to
Dai Bachtiar.
POLITICIAN (Translation): Isn't our police chief great? That's obvious.
With the cash cow growing fatter by the day, some analysts even suggest the police
now have too much to gain from the war on terror.
JOHN MEMPI (Translation): But why is there always this worry about bombings? This
subservience to foreigners, this paranoia about bombs. You must help us with money,
with equipment and training, so that we can do something. We need funds to combat
these terrorists. And to convince the foreigners bombings do happen. Indeed there are
acts of terrorism in Indonesia but done by "terrorists" in inverted commas.
(2) A TERRORIST ON THE PAYROLL:
To most Australians terrorism in Indonesia means Jemaah Islamiah. Abu Bakar
Bashir, Dr Azahari and Noordin Mohammed Top have become household names and
we're led to believe they're the masterminds behind every atrocity.
But there's another side to the JI story that Australia hasn't heard and it's part of the
extraordinary family history of this man.
© 2002 Special Broadcasting Service
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