Five wanted in connection with Bali bombings
Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) Indonesian security forces and prosecutors have announced that five Muslim extremists from the island of Java are currently wanted for participation in the October 1 Bali terrorist attacks when suicide bombers blew themselves up in Jimbaran and Kuta killing 25 people and injuring more than 130.
Banten police chief Badrodin Haiti said the five men had been under surveillance for their links with the Jemaah Islamiyah, a group held responsible for previous attacks. Three of the wanted men have previously been in prison for possession of explosives, but on their release disappeared from their homes.
For the time being, police is first checking whether the three suicide bombers' severed heads resemble those who were released. It is also urging the public to come forward with information about the three whose photos have been published. One Indonesian family has done so telling the authorities that one of the photos might that of their son.
Meanwhile, the police is after two Malaysians, Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top, who are thought to have masterminded the attacks.
Azahari was implicated by Ali Imron, a man convicted in the 2002 Bali attack that killed 2020 people. Imron received a life sentence after avoiding the death penalty because he collaborated with police in their investigation. Speaking to the press, he said he believed the perpetrators were "those same people", i.e. "[w]ho else if not the group of Dr Azahari?"
From his prison cell where he is purging a 30-year sentence, Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir condemned the suicide attack. "I really disapprove of bombings in non-conflict areas for whatever reason, including in Bali, because it can be almost certain that innocent and unknowing victims would fall," Bashir said in a statement released by his lawyer.
He told the families of those who died "to accept this fate from Allah" and went on to advise the Indonesian government to get "closer to Allah" by practising God's law as best it can.
Balinese Hindus, who are a majority on the island, paused to observe Galungan, a major religious holiday, which celebrates the victory of good over evil. They have decided to dedicate the celebrations to the victims. Different groups of people visited the bomb sites to pray.
Some leave gifts at the entrance of the damaged buildings and pray in silence. For example, Ketut Arini, 20, a waitress at Menaga cafe, one of the bomb targets, splashed water and placed offerings of incense and fruit in every corner of the cafe building. "I look for blessings so that the spirits are gone," she said.
Others speak about the heavy blow to the tourism industry, the island's lifeblood. Although they, too, pray, they don't mince words about what they think of the terrorists. "The perpetrators should be brought here. I will kill them myself. We don't want anything like that to happen again," said Jimbaran resident Ketut Noren, 45, standing in front of a half-demolished bar.
Bali Tourism Board chairman Bagus Sudibya held a press briefing to explain the current situation. He called on the press to "describe the situation as it really is".
"In spite of the tragedy . . . compared with 2002 it is a slightly different situation. It is still quite normal," he said.
Even though arrivals have dropped by about 1,100 a day, and departures risen by less than 20 per cent, the "situation will get back to normal soon," he added.
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