Letter: Will peace finally prevail?

Thu, 11/27/2008 10:58 AM  |  Reader's Forum

The moment finally came -- Sunday midnight, Nov. 9 -- for the three Bali bombers -- Amrozi, Imam Samudra, and Mukhlas -- found guilty in 2003 for setting off high-explosive bombs at Paddy's Bar and Sari Club in Bali, Oct. 12, 2002.

They had to be responsible for their action with the death sentence for committing the sorry tragedy which killed 202 innocent people. Most of the victims were foreigners.

The decision to carry out the execution provoked plenty of comments from various sides. The public obviously see this case from several differing point of views. Simply put, the pros and cons emerged into the public forum during this case.

On the pro side, the execution is regarded as the right thing because it serves as a lesson for other would-be bombers who may try the same thing they Bali bombers did.

This case is also seen as justice for the 202 innocent people who died. But the pro-execution public keenly desires a peaceful atmosphere in this beloved country. Many hope there will be no more bomb threats after the execution.

On the other hand, some people are skeptical whether the execution will really deter others. Unfortunately the skepticism is quite reasonable. A few days before the execution day, several bomb threats threatened Australian and U.S. embassies, a hotel in Semarang and a gas station in Jakarta.

Even though those threats were false alarms, they succeeded in frightening the public. Moreover, many supporters of the three bombers did not accept the sentence and promised vocally to continue their so-called jihad.

In the aftermath of the execution, we can pose one question, will peace prevail on earth after the execution of the three Bali bombers?

It is not an easy thing to answer this simple question. Building peace in this case is not merely an effort by the country's security personnel but also by the general public who will be contributing for the sake of creating and building a bridge of peace.

And so it will be such a beautiful moment when the decision of this execution is perceived wisely by all elements of the public so the ultimate goal of achieving a bridge of peace can be gained.

SEPTIYAN LISTIYA
Surakarta, Central Java

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