Biker Gangs, Terrorists and Law Enforcement

One hot topic that the Indonesian news media has been reporting in the last few weeks is about violence carried out by biker gangs in some parts of the archipelago.

These gangs seems to be very strong that the Police seems to be facing big difficulties in taking action against them. Maybe because there were some strong people who were involved in the gangs' activities, for example in the latest incident the Police arrested four Army soldiers allegedly involved in a string of assault that left one man dead and at least 13 others injured.

The case was totally different when the Police were facing alleged "terrorists", who were reported to be trained and well armed, whereby they always succeeded in killing most of them and arresting some of them.

The above mentioned facts have made me asked the following questions :
Are the biker gangs more powerful than the trained and armed "terrorists" ?
Or, they were only made to look as if they were that strong ?

Photo : Courtesy of Republika

The Roots of Terrorism

Today the National Police announced the identity of terrorist who blew himself at the Church in Solo, Central Java, last Sunday i.e  Pino Damayanto a.k.a Ahmad Yosepa Hayat (31) who was wanted by the Police for his involvement in the suicide bombing at the Police mosque in Cirebon, West Java, last April.

The mass media reported that Ahmad Yosepa and three others were prepared by the Cirebon Terrorist group to carry out suicide bombings.

As a normal human being, I strongly believe that normal human beings would never want to kill themselves and other people for decent reasons.

People who commit suicide to kill others are either frustrated or suffer mental depression or politically or religiously fanatic because of the situation and condition in their lives. Or, alternatively, they are brainwashed or hypnotized by other people who has the power to do so.

All of which can be caused by poverty, lack of education, lack of jobs, injustices, corruption, ugly political condition, etc.

Considering the above, I felt that terrorism cannot be eliminated just by eliminating people who are allegedly involved in any acts of terrorism like urging people to take illegal actions against other people who have different ideology or religion, and/or campaigning illegal actions to the society for example through the internet

Terrorism cannot also be eliminated by merely giving extra-power to the intelligence agencies whose ability and seriousness to detect acts of terror is under question. This is proven from the fact that the Solo bomb exploded just 5 months after the suicide bomb at the Police mosque in Cirebon, although the Police has issued a wanted persons list.
This can also be seen from the fact that violent organizations and website that advocate radical actions like arrahmah.com were allowed to exist.

The best way to eliminate terrorism would be by eliminating all the things that causes terrorism i.e. provide enough job, decent and inexpensive housing, schools, eliminating corruption, fair business competition, decent political practices, law enforcement based on equality before the laws, presumption of innocence and respect of human rights.

Who Should be Responsible for the Solo Bombing?

A man killed himself by blowing a bomb he carried with him at the Kepunton Church in Solo, Central Java, 10.45 a.m today, injuring 19 others.

In this regards I would like to express my deepest sympathy to those who have been hit by the bomb.

President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) condemned the bombing, saying that it is the work of the Cirebon Terrorist Group whose member blew a bomb at a mosque in Cirebon, West Java, killing himself and injuring a Police officer on 15 April 2011.

The President also said that preventive and proactive actions shall be taken to find out about this bombing incident.

Further, an internal investigation on the Police, Intelligence and Military units, especially those in Central Java, shall be carried out to find out whether they have coordinated well to prevent terrorist action.

Furthermore, he said that this bombing proves that what he has often warned about terrorists threat is real, not just a make-believe.

I hope that an overall investigation will be conducted immediately to find out who is the suicide bomber, the people behind him and what is the motive, why can it happen ? why can't our intelligence detect it ?

Terrorist at the Jakarta Lawyers Club

TVOne's Jakarta Lawyers Club talk show last night surprised me when the host Karni Ilyas invited Ali Imron, one of the terrorists who was responsible for the suicide bombing in Bali.now serving life time prison sentence, to speak via teleconference.

Although Ali Imron spoke through a television set, however it gave him as a prison convict, a very rare chance to talk an audience of millions of TVOne's viewers.

Claiming that he is still a terrorist, Ali Imron said that the recent Book Bomb terror and plan to bomb the Gas pipeline in Serpong on Good Friday were carried out by new generation of terrorists, and the 200 Kilograms of explosive they used were only materials for Fire Crackers, thus its destructive potential is very much lower compared to that of a TNT bomb.

He suggested anyone who wish to fight terrorists should meet and talk to him first if they want to succeed because as a terrorist he is the best person to seek advice for fighting terrorists.

The talk show was attended by the Chief of State Anti Terrorists Agency Asyaad Mbai, Chairman of NU, Chairman of the Indonesian Church Council Nathan Setiabudi, former Chairman of Muhammadiyah Safei Maarif, former leader of the Jamaah Islamiya Nasir Abbas, and many lawyers.

Considering that Ali Imron still proudly claim that he is a terrorist, I hope that our security agencies would be much more careful next time before they allow him to appear and talk in public.We do not want him to control activities of other terrorists from jail, the same way that jailed drug dealers control their retailers outside.

Bravo Police

The National Police Anti-Terrorists Unit today has finally arrested 6(six) men who were reported to be responsible for spreading Book Bombs in Jakarta and vicinity last March.

Beside that, the Anti-Terrorists Unit has also been successful in finding two bombs that were placed near the Gas Pipeline not far from a Church in Serpong, Banten, this afternoon.

I am very happy with the above results, and therefore would like to congratulate and thank our National Police Anti-Terrorists Unit for their great jobs.

I hope that the Police and our intelligence network would do their very best to find who masterminded the spread of all those bombs and eliminate their terrorist network.

Moreover, I hope that every citizens will support the efforts to eliminate terrorists among others by keeping our eyes and ears open on what's going on near us and report to the Police if there is something suspicious.
Perhaps we could follow the people of Cirebon who do not allow the body of the suicide bomber who blew himself inside a Police Mosque last week to be buried in that town, that the Police has to find another burial place in East Jakarta.

The Mysterious Suicide Bomber in Cirebon

On 15 April 2011, a suicide bomber blew himself inside a crowded Mosque at a Police station in Cirebon, West Java, injuring 28 persons mostly Police officers who were having their Friday prayer.

According to MetroTV, this is not the first time that the bomber, later identified as Muhammad Syarief, appeared in public. TV stations show that Syarief have participated in various demonstrations including beating a vehicle of the local Prosecutors office in Cirebon.    

Further, The Jakarta Globe reported that Syarief was suspected of killing an army officer i.e First Corporal Sutejo, and stabbed his friend Ali, in early April, because they heard him taking about the suicide bombing plan. Besides, he was also suspected of being involved in the destruction of a mini market.

The Police is still investigating the suicide bombing case, among others by raiding the houses of Syarief's parents, his brother, and his father in law.

The suicide bomb blasted exactly one month after the first Book Bomb exploded at Utan Kayu, East Jakarta on 15 March 2011, that caused a Police officer to lost his right arm. Unfortunately, until this moment the Police still unable to name a suspect responsible for the delivery of Book Bombs to certain public figures in various parts of Jakarta.

Considering that Muhammad Syarief was active in several public protests, destruction of mini market and suspected of killing an Army officer, I felt that it was very weird that he was able to enter the Police's Mosque without being noticed.

Under normal circumstances, a man with such reputation should have bein in the Police's Most Wanted Person List and monitored very closely by the intelligence network.

Attacks on Moderate Moslems and Anti-Narcotic Agency

Yesterday afternoon a bomb exploded at the office of the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI) in Utan Kayu, Central Jakarta.

The bomb was disguised as a book titled " Mereka Harus Dibunuh Karena Dosa-Dosa Mereka Terhadap Islam dan Kaum Muslim " meaning " Those Who Should Be Killed Because of Their Sins To Islam and Muslims ", in a package sent by Drs Sulaiman Azhar LC for the former chairman of the Liberal Islamic Network (JIL), currently a top official of President SBY's Democrat Party i.e Ulil Abshar Abdalla.

According to The Jakarta Post, the book was received by employee of ISAI at around 10 a.m. who contacted the police later in the afternoon after noticing cables sticking out of the book.

Kompas reported that the police were trying to secure the book when the explosion occurred. As a result, the East Jakarta chief detective Comr. Dodi Rahmawan suffered serious injuries, one of his hand was blown off, another Police officer and employee of ISAI were injured.

Later in evening a similar package was sent to Comr. Gen. Gories Mere, former key officer of the National Police’s anti-terrorists unit, Densus 88, at his office at the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in Cawang, East Jakarta.

According to The Jakarta Globe, the bomb was not opened and was safely disposed of. The head of the Jakarta Police’s bomb squad, Sr. Comr. Wahyu Widodo was quoted as saying that the package was similar to the one sent to Ulil, which contained a thick book in which the bomb was hidden.

I wonder whether the above incidents indicate that the terrorist who used to claim that they were fighting for religion have now join forces with drug dealers.  I hope that the Police Densus 88 will hunt them and bring them to justice very soon.

Police vs Gunmen

The Province of North Sumatera has seemingly become a battle ground for the Police and unknown gunmen, the latest happened yesterday in Deli Serdang when unknown gunmen attacked a Police station and killed three Police officers. Please find below the news that I have quoted from CNN.

This incident happened only three days after the Police Special Unit Densus-88 raided suspected terrorists in Medan, killing 3 and captured 15 others.

Several weeks before that, a group of unknown gunmen robbed Bank CIMB-Niaga in the province's capital Medan, killing a Police officer.

I wonder whether there is a link between the three incidents.

Gunmen kill 3 officers at police station in Indonesia 

From Kathy Quiano, CNN

September 22, 2010 -- Updated 0216 GMT (1016 HKT)

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Unknown gunmen fatally shot three policemen Wednesday at a police station in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, authorities said.

Men on motorcycles entered the police compound about 1 a.m. and shot the officers, who were on duty at the district police station in Deli Serdang, said District Police Chief Inspector General Oegroseno. Oegroseno, who goes by one name, spoke on local television.

The killings raised speculation about a link to recent police raids and the arrests of suspected terrorists in North Sumatra. No such link had been established, police spokesman Marwoto Soeto said.

On Sunday, Indonesian authorities killed three suspects and arrested 15 others in raids. Ties were later established between the 18 and terrorist groups, police said Monday.

The raids netted TNT and high-powered weapons, police said.

The three suspects who were killed Sunday, and three of those arrested, were involved in a bank heist in August, National Police Chief Bambang Hendarsono Danuri said at a news conference Monday in Medan, North Sumatra. The men belonged to a terror cell in charge of raising money to buy weapons, the chief added.

The suspects were part of a militant training camp in Aceh, which authorities raided earlier this year, and fled to nearby Medan to raise more money, Danuri said. Police are still hunting for other members of the group.

Terror cells in Indonesia have used armed robberies to raise money for their operations in the past.

Terrorist Suspects and Legal Rights

Last Sunday, the Police's Special Unit Densus-88, has successfully dismantled terrorist plot in Medan, North Sumatera.

As in past operations, this time Densus-88 instantly killed three men who were suspected of planning terror activities in the province, among others by robbing a bank in Medan on broad day light and killed one Police officer.

Considering that Indonesia adopted the concept of Rule of Law i.e. Supremacy of Law, Equality before the Law, Presumption of Innocence, and Respect of Human Rights, I wonder whether those men deserve to be killed instantly on the spot.

Please don't get me wrong, I am totally against any act of terror that has caused fear and disorder in society. However, I  felt that anyone suspected as terrorists has the right to defend him/her self in the Court of Law.

It would totally up to the Court Judges to decide whether or not he/she is guilty, and what kind of punishment suitable. If the whole legal proceedings confirmed that the alleged terrorist is guilty and should be sentence to death, execution may be carried out.

Beside that, if the suspected terrorist were captured alive, the Police may have more chance to question and get more information about terrorist network. 

Please find below an article that I have quoted from The Jakarta Globe.  

Terrorists, Bank Robbers or Both? Confusion Within Indonesian Police After Deadly Raids
Farouk Arnaz | September 20, 2010

Jakarta. Confusion continues to surround the deaths of three people killed by members of Indonesia’s elite anti terror forces on Sunday night.

Agence France-Presse reported that the United States-backed Detachment 88 counter-terrorism unit, which shot dead three people, critically wounded two others and arrested another two during two separate raids in North Sumatra, quoted National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Iskandar Hasan as saying the arrests were linked to bloody heist at CIMB bank in Medan last month. 

But he could not confirm the suspects were involved in terrorist activities. “It’s true that at around 6:30 p.m. we arrested those suspected of robbing CIMB Medan,” Hasan said. “We’re not able to say whether this is related to terrorism.”

Motorcycles and weapons including at least one semi-automatic assault rifle were seized during the operations in Belawan and Tanjung Balai cities of North Sumatra province, he added. 

The Associated Press, meanwhile, said officials disagreed on what crimes the group allegedly committed.

Brig. Gen. Ketut Untung Yoga, deputy spokesman for the National Police, said the men were suspected of involvement in the bank robbery, while North Sumatra Police Chief Maj. Gen. Oegroseno was quoted as saying that the bodies had yet to be identified. 

“We are not yet sure if they are linked to the bank robbery or to other terrorist activities,” he was quoted by Kompas as saying, adding several automatic weapons were seized in the raids. 

A police source to the Jakarta Globe, however, said that one of the properties raided on Sunday belonged to a member of the hard-line group Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, indicating the operation was targeting suspected terrorists.

“The owner of the house, Ahmad Gazali, is a member of JAT,” the source said on Monday.

JAT is led by hard-line cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is currently being detained at the National Police headquarters on charges related to the militant paramilitary training camp found in neighboring Aceh.

Densus 88 has been criticized in recent months for its high kill-to-capture ratio — with one suspect killed for every four arrested. 

The deaths raise human rights concerns and risk fueling Islamist propaganda and tarnishing what has been a highly praised anti-terrorism campaign that has seen hundreds of suspects arrested and convicted, AP reports.

The killings also mean the suspects cannot be questioned and intelligence on their networks is lost.

Abubakar Ba'asyir Arrested

This morning, Police Anti Terrorist Unit Densus-88 arrested Abu Bakar Basir, the alleged leader of the South East Asia terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

Please find below the news about the arrest that I have quoted from Kompas.

I hope that the arrest would stop violence committed by anyone or group of people who claim to be acting in the name of certain religion.
I also hope that the government and its law enforcement agencies would be consistent in eliminating violence especially that we are about to enter the holy month of Ramadhan.

Recent Terrorism Cases Lead to Ba'asyir's Arrest

Senin, 9 Agustus 2010 | 10:01 WIB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia National Police Headquarters confirmed the arrest of senior leader of Jama'ah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) Abu Bakar Ba'asyir by an anti-terrorist unit special detachment 88 (Densus 88).

"That's right, he was arrested," said National Police spokesman Sr. Comm. Marwoto Soeto on Monday.  According to him, Ba'asyir  was arrested over his alleged involvement in recent terrorism cases.

"Arrested for dealing with the cases," added Marwoto. Ba'asyir was arrested in Ciamis at around  8 a.m. local  time.

"He's being probed by investigators."

Dulmatin

Before ending his speech at the Australian Parliament, President Suslio Bambang (SBY) said that yesterday the Indonesian Anti Terrorists Unit has killed the most wanted terrorist in South East Asia i.e. Dulmatin.

SBY has every reason to be proud, because Dulmatin (39) was wanted by Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and the United States for his acts of terrorism since 2000 in Jakarta, Bali and the Philippines, that has killed hundreds of Australians, Americans, Philippines, Indonesians and people from other countries.

For details, please click here, here and here.

I am glad that the Police's Densus-88 anti Terrorists Unit has once again proven their top abilty in combating terrorism in Indonesia. I hope that the government would follow up this success by eradicating the causes of such evil acts, i.e injustice, poverty, unemployment, corruption.

Photo :  Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Police Vs Terrorists in Aceh

On 15 August 2005, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Central Government in Jakarta and the separatists in the Province of Aceh, ending 29 years of violence there.

Since then, the media stopped reporting about violence and changed its focus into the adoption of strict Islamic Syariah Law in the province.

Last week, the media has reported about the shoot out between the Police's Anti Terrorist Unit, Densus-88, and a group of fully armed terrorists in Aceh Besar Regency, killing 3 Police officers 2 terrorists and 2 civilians. 13 terrorists were arrested and sent to a detention center in Jakarta.

After the shoot out, a group called the “Tandzim Al-Qoidah Indonesia Serambi Makkah” claimed on its blog: alufuq.wordpress.com that they belong to Al-Qaedah terrorist network. The Police is investigating about the said claim.

For details, please click here and here.

Considering that the number of the alleged terrorists were quite big and fully equipped a.o with M-16 automatic rifles, GPS communication, etc. I believe that they must have spent some time to organize themselves.

Two More Terrorists Died

" The Police's Anti Terrorists DENSUS-88 has been successful once again! "


That's what I thought when I watched the news on several TV stations that the Police has killed two men who were believed to be Syaifudin Zuhri and Muhamad Syaril, who recruited & brainwashed the suicide bombers of Hotel JW Marriot and Hotel Ritz-Carlton last July.

According to the the Police's Chief PR, Inspector General Nanan Soekarna the terrorists were killed during a Police raid this afternoon at their rental room in Tangerang, Banten. The Police found 7 pipe bombs at terrorists rooms. This raid was carried out after the Police arrested a terrorist suspect i.e. Fajar, earlier in the morning in Bekasi, West Java.

Confirmation on the identities of the dead terrorists shall be announced to the public next Monday after the Police received clarification from the Forensic Unit.

For detailed media reports, please click here, here , here and here.

Considering the above, I would like to thank all the members of DENSUS-88 for their endless efforts to eliminate terrorists so that Indonesia will be a much safer place to live.

Photo: Courtesy of Detik.

The Terrorist is Dead

" Justice has finally Prevailed ! "
That's what I said to my friends when we heard that the Police's Special Unit Densus88 has successfuly killed the Malaysian Terrorist Noordin M. Top after nine hours of shoot out at a house rented by a group of terroists in Solo, Central Java, earlier today.

The good news was announced by the Chief of National Police Bambang Danuri, who gave reporters a brief explanation about the incident and show photos of the terrorist's finger prints.

The Malaysian Terrorist was responsible for a series of bombings that have killed hundreds of people, mostly Muslims, in Bali and Jakarta, since 2002,

The Police action has been praised & supported by President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono and the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia i.e. Nahdathul Ulama (NU).
However, Abu Jibril i.e. father of Muhammad Jibril the suspected financial arranger of terrorist suicide bombing last July, has condemned the Police raid on the terrorists. He called the raid as 'brutal' because in the raided house there was a wife of one of the terrorists suspect who's pregnant.

For details on the above, please click here, here, here, here and here.

I hope that the death of the Malaysian Terrorist would not soften the Police's efforts to hunt down other terrorists.

Photo: Courtesy of The Jakarta Globe

Is the Malaysian Terrorist Dead?

“Alhamdullilah!” (Arabic for Thank God), that's what I said after I heard that the Malaysian terrorist Noordin M. Top was shot dead by Police Special Unit DENSUS-88 on 7 August, at his hideout in Temanggung, Central Java.

I felt very happy because Noordin and another Malaysian terrorist Azhari, who was killed few years ago, have ‘brainwashed’ some Indonesian Muslims to kill lots of people, mostly Muslims, by their suicide bombings in Bali, Jakarta, Poso and Ambon.

According to National Police Chief Bambang Danuri, at almost the same time the Police has also killed two other terrorists and found 500 Kg Explosives in Jatiasih, Bekasi, West Java, which will be used for suicide bombings at the President's private residence located 5 Kilometers from the location and the State Palace during our independence day celebration on 17 August.
Before the above mentioned raids, the Police have arrested five other terrorists.

In spite of the above, there is one big question: Is the body in Temanggung belongs to Noordin M. Top or an Indonesian who act as his decoy?
Bambang Danuri cannot confirm this, he said that the Police need to conduct a DNA Test on the body and check it with the DNA of the relative of anyone suspected including that of Noordin M. Top.

For details, please click here, here, here and here.

Considering the above, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to our Police especially the DENSUS 88 Unit for their efforts and success. I hope that there will be more success in the future, for which purpose everyone in Indonesia, including the Armed Forces & citizens, should assist and cooperate closely with the Police.

Photo : Courtesy of Kompas

Terrorist Bombings in Indonesia

Since the year 2000, terrorists’ bombings have killed and wounded so many innocent people in Indonesia.

Here is a recap of the tragic incidents I quoted from Kompas newspaper, Saturday 18 July 2009, as follows :
1 August 2000 : Jakarta, Residence of the Ambassador of Philippines, killing 2 people, wounding 21 people;
13 September 2000 : Jakarta Stock Exchange Building, killing 10 people wounding 90 people;
24 December 2000, simultaneously in several cities/towns : Jakarta, Bekasi, Sukabumi, Bandung, Mojokerto, Mataram, Pematang Siantar, Medan, Batam and Pekanbaru, killing 19 people and wounding 96 people;
12 October 2002 : Bali, at Sari Club, Paddy’s Bar, US Consulate, killing 202 mostly foreigners and wounding 300 people;
5 December 2002 : Makasar-South Sulawesi – McDonald restaurant, killing 3 people and wounding 11 people;
27 April 2003 : Jakarta International Airport Terminal 2F, killing 3 people and wounding 11 people;
5 August 2003 : Jakarta, J.W Marriot Hotel, killing 6 people, wounding 152 people;
9 September 2004 : Jakarta, outside the Australian Embassy, killing 6 people
and wounding 168 people;
1 October 2005 : Bali, Raja Bar and Jimbaran Café, killing 13 Indonesians and 9 foreigners, wounding 107 people;
17 July 2009 : Jakarta, J.W Marriot Hotel and Ritz Carlton Hotel, killing 9 people and wounding 55 people.

At present there is a growing resistance in our society against the terrorists i.e. TV stations show devastating effects of the bombing by interviewing many victims who are sufferring. Beside that, the Anti-Terrorists cause: Indonesiaunite in Twitter and Facebook have been strongly supported.

For details on the above, please click here and here.

Considering the above, I hope that the government and its law enforcement agencies would work much harder and better to capture and punish anyone who plan, finance and execute the bombings. And considering that many of the victims are foreigners and the terrorists belong to Jamaah Islamiyah and Al Qaeda, therefore there should very close cooperations with security agencies of other countries.