Guest Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 Explosion hits Jakarta airport From CNN's Atika Shubert Sunday, April 27, 2003 Posted: 2:58 AM EDT (0658 GMT) JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- An explosion has ripped through the departure lounge at Jakarta's international airport, wounding 11 people, at least two of them seriously. The low-explosive blast went off at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday (7:30 p.m. Saturday ET) near a passenger pick-up and drop-off area at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, police said. Many of the injured were members of the same family, including a teenager who lost a leg. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Police believe the bombing was timed to cause a large number of casualties. The bomb was placed under a row of seats near a Kentucky Fried Chicken food outlet. It caused no significant damage to the surrounding area -- just a small crater where it went off -- leading police to believe it was a low-explosive bomb. Indonesia has been the target for a number of terrorist bombings in recent years. A bombing attack on a Bali nightclub last October killed nearly 200 people. Last week, a smaller-scale bomb detonated near a U.N. building in Jakarta. No one was injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 I saw it in the news too. I wonder, when this will finally stop? :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 This bombing looks to be related to the conflict in Aceh. If that is the case than expect there to be more. The peace plan in Aceh has broken down again and people from the Acehnese Liberation Front (GAM) have said if the Indonesian Army goes on the offenesive they want Indonesians to share the pain rather feeling at a safe distance. It could also have been carried out by the army to frame GAM. GAM have lost some of thier more inspired leaders in the past year, so it looks like they are mostly just thugs now. That makes them the moral equivelent of the Indonesian army. Meanwhile regular people are taxed by the army during the day and by GAM at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 adikgede, Please explain something to me, as you are a lot closer to the action than I am. If 'separatists' in some part of Indonesia start trouble, the Indonesian military comes down on them HARD, yet Islamic extremists seem to be given a lot more leeway by a government wary of upsetting the largest Muslim population on earth. Surely its time for Megawati to take off the gloves ? Yes, I admit that I am an ignorant Aussie, but I fail to see how the situation in SE Asia can improve until Indonesia gets its act together and deports hardline Islamic clerics. We'll be jumped on for engaging in a political discussion, but I cant see anything but a bleak future for Asian 'Sanukers' until this is sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 don't worry too much indonesia is a huge country - 4th most populous & completely spread out. most populous in SEA & at the moment draw great press attention, whereas I imagine far more bombings take place in say the phils or more SARS fatalities in China for sure! still it would probably not hurt for the government to take a bit more hard stance, but what do I know? I just love the place & have no reservations about going there & would like to point out this bomb was actually in the international airport, BUT at the domestic terminal as I suppose this is all a domestic issue NOT directed at foreigners such as the terrorist act in kuta... mind you no fatilities this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 If 'separatists' in some part of Indonesia start trouble, the Indonesian military comes down on them HARD, yet Islamic extremists seem to be given a lot more leeway by a government wary of upsetting the largest Muslim population on earth. Well you already said it, oxymoronic as it sounds separatism is not a divisive issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 Quite often, violence assumed to be Islamic is infact the work of 'preman' or thug gangs sponsored by the military. One such example of was the activities of Laskar Jihad in Ambon, who seemed to have faded into obscurity now. The military uses these gangs as a means to stay in politics and exert its powerr when civil order appears to be breaking down. For a good account of events such as these over the last 6 years, I would strongly recommend people read "Reformasi' by Kevin O'Rourke. I concur that the airport bomb may be linked to Aceh rather than Bashir's people, who still seem to me to be rather inept, although such a stoneage piece of terror may fit their modus opperandi. However I wouldnt mind speculating that this may be someone working for the military and pinned on GAM or other Acehnese group in order to allow the resumption of military action in the region. Cheers Jaga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosal Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 Agree that the airport bombing is surely linked to the Aceh guerilla and did not specialy targeted foreigners, but beside this the moment is maybe not the best to visit Indonesia... A friend expat in Jakarta, living there since fifteen years, reported an recent increase of anti-foreigner feelings, that he never felt during all this years in the country, and currently afflicting his life; he was recently insulted several times (treated of 'american') in local markets and once in a concert of a popular indonesian singer.... the atmosphere is not 'easygoing' as it was before, due to the vigilance and security's pressure in public places (specially in foreigners usual hangs out) and some hostile attitudes of few but virulent people.... what will happen later ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted April 28, 2003 Report Share Posted April 28, 2003 Laskar Jihad was not a group of thugs. They were a real live militant Islamist hate group that organized in Java and went to Ambon to participate in sectarian blood shed. The militant arm of Laskar Jihad disbanded after the October Bombing in Bali, just as the Islamic Defenders Front ceased political activity (at least untill Gulf II broke out). I wouldn't underestimate Abu Bakars followers either. The government is having a hard time producing evidence against Abu Bakar. Which would indicate to me that they aren't stupid. There have been rumors that Laskar Jihad worked with the miltary but it is more likely that the miltary just stood aside and allowed them to go after Christian militants with their long swords. It is true that when bombs go off in Indonesia no one usually claims responsibility, so the confusion and anxiety is exploited by whom ever sees fit. GAM was also short listed for the bombing of the Philipinne Ambassadors residence while now it apears that the Bali boys were involved. Laskar Jihad used to have a pretty impressive display of hate propaganda on the web but they have had their domaine name yanked. Some of it is still archived including their announcement to disband. http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.laskarjihad.or.id Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 29, 2003 Report Share Posted April 29, 2003 Adik, I keep an open mind about all such groups in Indo, as the shadowy hand of the military is often just out of sight when violence occurs. Religious violence can often be a pretext for the military to increase its own political stocks. One such incident, the attack by Laskar's sister organisation, FDI on Wisma Doulos, a Christian orphanage, shows this dubious masking of the intent of such groups. FDI (Islamic Defence Front) had strong links to Jakarta Garrison Commander and Wiranto Protege Djaja Suparman. FPI where also responsible for the spate of attacks on nightspots, gambling dens and brothels. Curiously enough they only attacked venues not linked to the military. Suparman was also credited with embezzling almost 200 Billion Rupiah from Mandala Airlines around the time Laskar Jihad was recruiting in 1999 and 2000. Laskar's military aided violence soon after in Maluku also coincided with Wiranto's push into politics. Could it have been that Laskar operated on behalf of Suparman in order to further his boss' political fortunes. Moreover, police in Ambon reported that TNI units fought on the side of Laskar during the upheaval, which further suggests their roots were political and not religious. The failure of the TNI to stop the transport of thousands of their members to the outer Islands despite having 11000 troops garrisoned there further suggests duplicity. I am not trying to dismiss your claims outright, but rather suggest that just like in the Wayang kulit plays, nothing is as it seems in circles of power in Indonesia. Cheers Jaga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.