After timely raids and arrests, police need to address suspicions

Imanuddin Razak ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 07/05/2008 12:20 PM  |  Headlines

On the same day the National Police (Polri) celebrated its 62nd anniversary, a joint task force comprising the South Sumatra Police and an anti-terrorism police unit raided and found assembled bombs -- far more powerful than those used in both Bali bombings -- in a house in Palembang, South Sumatra.

The following day, the National Police in Jakarta confirmed the findings and also the arrest of nine terror suspects. And a day later, police headquarters linked the suspects with fugitive Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) figures Noordin M. Top and Mas Slamet Kastari.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira said the raids followed the June 28, 2008, arrest of a terror suspect, identified only as MH and wanted in Singapore for terrorism, in Sekayu district in Musi Banyuasin regency, also in South Sumatra.

The police's achievements in curbing terrorist activities in the country deserve a thumbs-up because they follow on another bold move carried out a few days earlier -- the arrest and naming of former deputy State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Muchdi Purwopranjono as a suspect in the September 2004 murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

However, the fact the raids and arrests coincided with the police force's anniversary celebrations has raised a few eyebrows in the general public, robbing the success of some of its significance.

Some have cynically questioned why the raids took place on the very same day as the celebration, and not prior to or after it.

One potential element of controversy is the link the police claim exists between the nine suspects and JI fugitives Noordin and Kastari. Noordin, a Malaysian, was responsible for a series of bomb attacks in the country between 2002 and 2005, along with fellow countryman Dr. Azahari bin Husin, who was killed in a raid in Malang, East Java, in 2006. Kastari is a Singapore-based JI leader who escaped from a maximum security prison in the neighboring country last February.

The police need strong evidence to back up claims of the suspects' links to JI, because testimony from alleged JI members on the suspects has yielded mixed results. One prominent former member of the international terrorist network claimed he knew some of the suspects, while another ex-member said he knew none of them.

Another element of controversy is the location of the suspects' hideout. Palembang is not that far away from Singapore, and Kastari could have easily made his way there after the debacle surrounding his escape. But Palembang and most other towns in the province have no significant history or ongoing affiliations with Islamic fundamentalism, which lies at the heart of JI's philosophy.

If the suspects really are linked to JI, the police must provide clear and unequivocal proof of their membership, just as it has done for previous terror suspects.

The fact the suspects were able to hide out in a house in an urban setting without arousing the suspicions of neighbors is also a sticking point, because it goes against the culture of communal interaction and familiarity most Indonesians identify with.

And the police's decision to not immediately make known the identities of the suspects has also raised a big question mark. In previous terror raids, the police have always immediately identified suspects by name and alias.

It is high time for the police to take a firm and independent stance on their actions, especially when handling high-profile cases, such as the current one which implicates an international terrorist network. Failure to support their findings and allegations with strong and sound evidence and logic will only ruin their slightly improving image.

Ever since its separation from the Indonesian Military in 2000, the police force has been given a huge responsibility in handling domestic security affairs. There should therefore be no reason to let it falter and go to waste.

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