AsiaViews, Edition: 24/II/June/2005
Bombing theories abound
The police have failed to find the motive of the Tentena bombing, despite questioning
142 witnesses. A bombing at the home of Abu Jibril adds to the mystery.
TENSIONS ran high in Poso, Central Sulawesi, last Friday. No less than 1,500 men
and women protestors marched towards the Poso Police Headquarters. The blazing
heat and a company of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) armed with long-barreled rifles did
not deter them. The crowd, which came from the Ties of Faith and Muslim Community
Struggle Forum (FSPUI) continued to demonstrate against the police, whom they felt
were randomly arresting suspects in the Tentena bombing. With shouts of "Allahu
Akbar" the protesters pushed forward. They asked the police to immediately release
those in custody. "The police are being oppressive," said Adnan Umar Arsal, FSPUI
Chairman. "They're arresting anybody."
Reports that the protest was heating up forced the Central Sulawesi Police Chief,
Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi, to intervene. He moved swiftly, leaving behind guests in the
VIP waiting room in Palu, and boarded a helicopter to fly straight for Poso—280
kilometers away from the capital of Central Sulawesi. After circling above the Poso
Police HQ to assess the situation, the helicopter landed.
To reduce the tension, Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi met with a delegation representing
the protestors. FSPUI Chairman Adnan Umar Arsal, spokesman for the protestors,
asked the police to release several in custody suspected of involvement in the
bombing of Tentena's Central Market in Poso, two weeks ago. "There is no strong
evidence they were the perpetrators," said Adnan Umar. After negotiating for 30
minutes, the police released Abdul Rauf, Buchari, and Risal. These three were
arrested by the Poso Police soon after the bombing. The protesters' cheers erupted
when the three walked out of police custody.
However the release did not empty out the police detention center. Dozens were still
being held for suspicion of being involved in the bombing which claimed 22 lives two
weeks ago. The attack, which took place while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
was making state visits to America, Vietnam, and Japan, has enraged the police. For
a week after the incident, the police blocked all roads out of Poso. All passing
vehicles were stopped, without exception. The police also set up a dragnet in several
strategic points. No less than 142 witnesses were questioned at length at the Poso
and Central Sulawesi Police departments. The police took most of these "witnesses"
from their homes. Now, 13 remain in police custody. "We have sufficient initial
evidence," said Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi. "They are official suspects."
Among them is Drs. Hasman, 48, head of the Poso Correctional Facility. Police found
some powder from an explosive compound on Hasman's clothing and head. Not
satisfied with this finding, the police conducted a thorough search of every room in the
Poso jail. The findings indicated, "there was a workshop where the Tentena bomb was
made," said National Police Chief, General Da'i Bachtiar. The police also said that
they found a homemade firearm at the Poso jail.
Could the Poso jail have been a bomb factory? Last week, Tempo reporter Darlis
Muhammad took a look at several areas of the prison, located in the middle of Poso
town. In the prison workshop, where inmates practice their welding and blacksmithing
skills, cut pieces of steel were piled up. Functioning welding equipment is found there.
The police suspect that Hasman transformed the 8x4 meter workshop into a bomb
production facility. Although they still receive orders for steel fences and trellises, the
workshop is now devoid of activity.
Mokhamad Sukron, an employee of the Justice & Human Rights Department who has
worked at the Poso jail for 11 years, said that it was unlikely the bombs were
constructed at the jail workshop. The area, which is relatively open, would be a
difficult place to build a bomb. The problem is that prison guards often roam about,
watching the activities of the convicts in the workshop. The guards worry if the welding
equipment is used to attempt an escape. On top of that, the inmates and guards are
Muslims and Christians. "If one side makes a bomb," said Mokhamad Sukron, "they
will certainly be suspected by the other."
Sukron offers an interesting explanation about the discovery of homemade weapons in
the prison ceiling. According to Sukron, when violent rioting started in May 2000 in
Poso, several rooms and prison cells were used as places of evacuation. The number
of evacuees who sought safety behind prison walls reached 3,000 people. As a result,
the two-month allotment of rice for the convicts was soon consumed by the evacuees
in just a week. At that time, many of the evacuees carried homemade firearms and
other types of weapons. "It could be that the weapon found by the police belonged to
the evacuees," said Mokhamad Sukron.
Tempo's efforts to confirm the police's charges against Hasman were blocked by
police bureaucracy. Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi banned reporters from going near the
cells of suspects. Jane Tangkilisan, Hasman's wife, who regularly visits her husband
in police custody, said that her husband was innocent. According to Jane, Hasman
only signed the results of police questioning which mentions a pistol and some bullets
in his car. "Now they are saying they found TNT powder in the car," said Jane
Tangkilisan to Tempo. "The police are spreading false rumors."
Testimony in Hasman's defense came from Sukarno. This head of the Central
Sulawesi regional office for Justice and Human Rights said that the pistol found in
Hasman's car is registered with the police. Sukarno confirmed that each month he
files a report to the police department listing the weapons held by public officials at
the regional government office. In the latest April 2005 report, the weapon belonging to
Hasman is listed. Sukarno also confirmed that the vehicle which Hasman was using
at the time of his arrest was an official vehicle of the Poso jail. As for the license plate
which was suspected of being forged, Sukarno had a short explanation. "That's
normal. Official cars often have black license plates," said Sukarno.
These clarifications have not led police to release Hasman, a father of six. The Deputy
Police Chief of Central Sulawesi, Sr. Comr. Sukirno, said that the police still suspect
that the Tentena bombs were constructed at the Poso jail. From the scene of the
blast in Tentena central market, police obtained traces of explosives and pieces of
metal. Thousands of metal shards with pointed ends turned the Tentena bombs,
which were actually low explosives, into lethal devices. "The pieces of metal at the
scene were identical with those at the Poso jail workshop," said Sr. Comr. Sukirno.
But what was the motive behind this despicable act? A Tempo source in the police
department confirmed that the Tentena bombing is not connected with the
perpetrators of the bombings in Bali, at the JW Marriott Hotel, and in front of the
Australian embassy in Jakarta. This source revealed that the type and pattern of the
Tentena blast has a local signature. The region of Poso, Seram Island, and Maluku is
indeed a conflict region which has often been shaken by low-yield bombs. Many local
residents have the ability to make homemade bombs. Fishermen, for instance, often
use them to catch fish at sea. Moreover, component materials for making bombs,
such as sulphur compound, ammonium nitrate, and potassium, are openly sold.
"Bomb-making in the region is quite prolific," said the source. The Tempo source also
said that the composition of the bomb which exploded in Tentena consisted of
potassium chlorate, sulphur, and shards of sharpened steel. The detonator consisted
of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN)—a chemical compound whose sale is tightly
regulated by intelligence.
The police say that information on the motives and the people behind the bombing can
be revealed if two suspects, Erwin and AT, are caught. The authorities have been
pursuing them for a long time, given their status as suspects in a number of violent
actions in Poso. Erwin, from the Kayamanya Subdistrict of Poso, for instance, was
once arrested on suspicion of killing Public Prosecutor Ferry Silalahi in Palu in May of
2004. However, in March of 2005, the Palu Administrative Court released the
29-year-old because the public prosecutor could not conclusively prove the charges.
This time, Erwin and AT are being hunted by the police because several witnesses
said they saw the two right before the Tentena bombs exploded. Central Sulawesi
Police have formed a special team to hunt these two "most-wanted" fugitives. "It is
believed they are still in Central Sulawesi, but always on the move," said Sr. Comr.
Sukirno.
According to a Tempo source, a high-ranking police officer who took part in
investigating the Poso bombing, there is strong evidence that the Tentena bombing
was intended to divert attention away from investigations into corruption cases.
Accordingly, when the Poso rioting erupted in 2000, Jakarta sent Rp162 billion to
cover the daily living costs of thousands of evacuees. However, regional public officials
and non-government organizations involved in managing this fund reportedly
embezzled about Rp70 billion. It is suspected that the Tentena bombing was
orchestrated by a group that is currently being targeted by police for stealing funds
intended for the welfare of the evacuees.
Suspicions of a diversion have been corroborated by Arianto Sangaji. This activist from
the Tanah Merdeka Foundation says that he has strong evidence on irregularities in
the administration of funds covering the daily living costs for Poso evacuees. This was
done by making fictitious reports on projects to return evacuees to their homes.
"Many of the evacuees' names were unknown," said Arianto Sangaji. "Their signatures
were all alike."
However, this suspicion was refuted early on by Vice President Muhammad Jusuf
Kalla. According to Kalla, who was involved in producing the Malino declaration which
ended the Ambon conflict, the Tentena bombing was committed by a terrorist group.
Kalla contends they want confusion to reemerge in Poso and several other
conflict-prone regions. "Linking the bombing with corruption really doesn't make
sense," said Kalla. Police Sr. Comr. Sukirno also feels that the diversion motive is
far-fetched. He does not know for sure, but agrees more with the vice president's
theory.
Meanwhile, a bomb exploded at the home of Abu Jibril in the Witanaharja housing
complex in West Pamulang, Banten. The bomb, which left a crater 20 centimeters in
diameter and 10 centimeters deep, did not cause any casualties, but question marks
remain. This was because the position of the blast was in the front yard. Theoretically,
there is little chance that the bomb was made by Abu Jibril, 48—a figure who was
once imprisoned in Malaysia under suspicion of violating the Internal Security Act.
Moreover, when the bomb went off, Abu Jibril was leading a pre-dawn congregational
prayer at Al-Munawarah Mosque, located 100 meters from his home.
Among police intelligence circles, the bombing at Abu Jibril's home was a police
counter-intelligence operation. After the explosion, the police were able to freely
search through the personal possessions of Abu Jibril. Abu Jibril alias Muhammad
Iqbal, it should be noted, reportedly had links to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI)
organization. The JI network was often linked to acts of terrorism. The police did go
through some of Abu Jibril's personal belongings. This included photo albums, books,
documents, handycam recordings, and the contents of his laptop, which were carried
off and are currently being thoroughly inspected at the police station. "Perhaps that
explosion was only a way to gather evidence," said the Tempo source.
The string of theories and suspicions has saddened Muhammad Ichsan Loulembah,
who heads the Regions in Conflict Caucus in the Regional Representative's Council
(DPD). He regrets the way the police and state officials conjure up theories in
determining the identity of the Tentena bombers. "Don't speculate on who is involved
in the bombing network," said Ichsan Loulembah. "And more importantly, don't make
random arrests based on those speculations," he warned. What he would like is to
have the authorities emulate the success of Comr. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika's
team, who succeeded in exposing the Bali bombing plot.
By Setiyardi, Erwin Daryanto, and Darlis Muhammad (Poso).
Tempo, No. 41/V/June 14 - 20, 2005
Copyright Asiaviews 2003
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