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Heads should roll after Surabaya attacks, Jokowi told
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Showing solidarity: Hundreds of Yogyakarta residents of various religious, professional and ethnic backgrounds gather at the Tugu Monument to pray for and show solidarity with victims of suicide bombings in three churches in Surabaya, East Java, on May 13. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
A
n opposition politician has called on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to review the performance of his top security officials and make heads roll if necessary after a string of bombings in East Java earlier this week.
Democratic Party deputy secretary-general Rachland Nashidik said that while it was important to revise the Terrorism Law, the President should “pay attention to organizational reform and replace officials who have failed in carrying out their duties to protect the freedom and security of citizens.”
Citizens venting their anger over terrorist attacks must also demand accountability from law enforcement and security institutions, including the state intelligence body, Rachland added in his Twitter account on Sunday after suicide bomb attacks on three churches in Surabaya.
As of Monday night, the number of fatalities from a series of bombings in Surabaya and Sidoarjo had risen to 28 people, 13 of whom were suicide bombers or their children.
The terror attacks in East Java took place just five days after a riot at a detention center at the National Police's Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) in Depok, West Java, which led to the deaths of five police officers and an inmate and a 36-hour standoff between terrorist inmates and security forces.
"Don't hesitate to demand they step down from their positions to give a chance to those who are more reliable," said Rachland.
"The first principle of a state that embraces democracy is that when the people's security and freedom are threatened, the first party that must be evaluated and corrected are responsible state officials," he added. (ahw)
