LAKSAMANA.Net, October 13, 2004 08:49 PM
Minor Explosions in Kalimantan & Sulawesi
Laksamana.Net - Small bombs have exploded in East Kalimantan and Southeast
Sulawesi provinces but caused no injuries, reports said Wednesday (13/10/04).
A low-explosive device was found at about 9.45pm Tuesday in the Fantasi Mall in
Balikpapan city, East Kalimantan, the Pos Metro Balikpapan daily's online edition
reported.
Balikpapan is home to several multinational oil, gas and mining firms. Police said
several businesses in the city over recent weeks had received anonymous bomb
threats that turned out to be false.
The explosive device was concealed in a black plastic bag placed under a table in the
Amazone arcade game center on the mall's second floor. The mall had not received
any recent bomb threats.
The Amazone employee who found the bomb, Sulaeman, alerted a security guard,
Rudi Hartono, who took the device outside and called police.
Bomb squad police arrived at the scene about an hour later to inspect the device,
which reportedly consisted of several colored wires connected to two batteries and a
small container.
The bomb exploded noisily at about 11.50pm when police activated a discharger they
had placed on the device, Pos Metro Balikpapan reported.
East Kalimantan Police bomb squad chief Sunardi said officers then gathered
fragments of the device, including a powder believed to be a mixture of ammonium
nitrate and sulfur.
Balikpapan Police operations chief Muhammad Zulkarnaen said officers would test the
components. "We don't yet know whether it was a bomb or not. We'll know once a
thorough inspection has been conducted in the laboratory," he said.
"We urge members of the public to always be on the alert," he said, adding that
officers were trying to find out who had placed the device in the mall.
Later on Wednesday, Balikpapan Police chief Hadi Purnomo said an initial
investigation indicated the device was probably not a bomb because it lacked a
detonator and a timer.
"Until now we're still investigating whether this device was really a bomb or only
explosives. But reports from my staff indicate it was only explosives because no
detonator or timer was found," he said.
Purnomo said police were treating the incident seriously because Balikpapan could
be targeted by terrorists due to the presence of several international companies in the
city.
"This case shows that every area has the potential to be hit by terrorism.
Furthermore, there are many foreign interests in Balikpapan that could be targeted,"
he added.
He appealed to the public to remain calm and promptly report any suspicious
activities or objects. "If reports are made quickly we can handle the situations to
minimize the impact," he added.
Kendari Blast
A small home-made bomb exploded 3.30am Tuesday outside the residence of an
anti-corruption activist in Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi. Police said the
bomb shattered windows but caused no injuries.
"The explosion came from a rudimentary low explosive device, and we are
investigating the motive," a local police officer was quoted as saying by the
Associated Press.
It was the second attack on the home of Hidayatullah (26), whose non-government
organization, the People's Mandate Council (MARA), has campaigned against
corruption in the local legislative assembly.
Police are yet to find the perpetrators of the first attack, which took place on
September 16, 2003.
A day before Tuesday's blast, members of MARA and other local pro-democracy
groups rallied outside the Southeast Sulawesi Attorney General's Office and local
legislative assembly to demand that corrupt legislators be detained and investigated.
Kendari Police deputy chief Hary Sasongko said the latest blast might have come
from a molotov cocktail, adding the explosion left a small hole with a depth of 12
centimeters and a diameter of 20 centimeters.
"Police are trying to find the perpetrators, but until now we do not have any suspects.
Investigators are still gathering evidence," he was quoted as saying by state news
agency Antara.
In Jakarta, National Police spokesman Paiman said the explosive was probably a
"fish bomb". Although illegal, such bombs are widely used by many fishermen in
Indonesia to stun fish.
Paiman said the fuse of the bomb appeared to have been a mosquito coil.
He further said police were looking for a Toyato Kijang vehicle that was seen pulling
up outside Hidayatullah's house before the blast.
Paiman claimed police didn't yet know whether the attack was related to
Hidayatullah's anti-corruption campaigns. "As far as this is concerned, the motive was
probably purely criminal," he was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
Meanwhile, Hidayatullah and his wife Yuyun said they were grateful the blast had not
injured them or their four-year-old daughter.
"The perpetrators are no longer limited to giving warnings of terrorism or intimidation,
but are already determined to kill my family," said Hidayatullah.
"I'm convinced the perpetrators are the people who are upset by the struggle for
democracy, but this bombing will not stop efforts to expose corruption, collusion and
nepotism," he added.
Indonesia has been hit by a series of bombings over the past five years. Most of the
major attacks have been blamed on regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah.
Bali Bombing Anniversary
Emotional ceremonies were held on the resort island of Bali on Tuesday to
commemorate the second anniversary of the October 12, 2002, nightclub bombings
that killed 202 people.
Most of those attending the main ceremony at the site of the blast in the Kuta area
were Australians and Indonesians. The bombings killed 88 Australians, 38
Indonesians, 23 Britons and citizens of 18 other countries.
Security was tight as mourners filed past a monument engraved with the names of the
dead and scattered white flowers into a pond.
Australian Ambassador David Ritchie led the mourners in 202 seconds of silence.
"The events of that day have become part of our own lives, they represent a loss of
innocence, a tragedy for all of those who value peace, beauty and what is right," he
said.
"We are not only here united in our grief and sympathy but in our determination to
eradicate this evil from our world," he added.
Most Indonesian television networks covered part of the commemorations. Private
network Trans TV displayed its sensitivity by showing file footage of some of the
charred victims while playing a cover version of the REM song 'Everybody Hurts'.
Several networks also focused heavily on a bikini clad New Zealand woman attending
the memorial.
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