Politicizing hotel bombings ‘setback for democracy’

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 07/19/2009 9:08 AM  |  Headlines

A group of activists urged the government Saturday to stop linking Friday’s hotel bombings to the recent presidential election as they said it would only worsen the situation.

They said that politicizing the deadly bombings was a setback for democracy in Indonesia.

“Stop politicizing the bombing tragedy, uphold the law and give priority to helping the victims,” the activists said in a joint statement.

The coalition of activists included members of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (Demos), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Indonesian Woman’s Coalition and the National Alliance of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

The activists made the call after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s statements that the perpetrators of the bombings were also targeting him in an attempt to derail the presidential election.

Yudhoyono said the terrorists were planning to take over the General Elections Commission (KPU) as ballot counting continues.

He further said the group planned to make Indonesia like Iran, and that they would try to prevent him from being sworn in for his expected second term.

The KPU has yet to officially announce the winner of the election, but quick counts have put Yudhoyono well in front.

Demos’ director Anton Prajasto said bringing the bombings into the political arena would confuse the process of democracy in the country.

“This is the right moment for the government to uphold the law. It is the task of police to arrest the perpetrators of the bombings and bring them to court,” he said.

Head of Kontras’ impunity watch and fulfilment of victims’ rights department, Yanti Andriani, deplored Yudhoyono for his provocative speech, made just hours after the bombing.

“Yudhoyono’s speech came at the wrong time and in the wrong place. For us, it is too also early to believe [his claims] but also too important to ignore,” she said.

“People are shocked by the bombings but President Yudhoyono does not need to make such provocative statements.”

She said that Yudhoyono could have directly ordered the police to follow up information from intelligence if a group of people were out to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, director of the National Coalition of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Nia Syarifuddin, agreed Yudhoyono’s statements would breed distrust.

“The priority should be put on humanitarian efforts, not politics, as this was a human tragedy,” she said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who also ran in the recent election, insisted Friday that the hotel bombings had nothing to do with the presidential election.

The third presidential candidate, Megawati Soekarnoputri, also rebuked Yudhoyono’s statements and questioned why the president hadn’t simply ordered the police to take direct action.

Meanwhile, Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party denied Saturday Yudhoyono’s statements were an attempt to politicize the bombings.

“President Yudhoyono is in no way politicizing the bombings. The president’s statements reflect his anger at the terrorist acts that are having disastrous impacts on the development of the country,” deputy party chairman, Anas Urbaningrum, said, as quoted by Antara.

Politicizing hotel bombings ‘setback for democracy’

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 07/19/2009 9:08 AM  |  Headlines

A group of activists urged the government Saturday to stop linking Friday’s hotel bombings to the recent presidential election as they said it would only worsen the situation.

They said that politicizing the deadly bombings was a setback for democracy in Indonesia.

“Stop politicizing the bombing tragedy, uphold the law and give priority to helping the victims,” the activists said in a joint statement.

The coalition of activists included members of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (Demos), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Indonesian Woman’s Coalition and the National Alliance of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

The activists made the call after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s statements that the perpetrators of the bombings were also targeting him in an attempt to derail the presidential election.

Yudhoyono said the terrorists were planning to take over the General Elections Commission (KPU) as ballot counting continues.

He further said the group planned to make Indonesia like Iran, and that they would try to prevent him from being sworn in for his expected second term.

The KPU has yet to officially announce the winner of the election, but quick counts have put Yudhoyono well in front.

Demos’ director Anton Prajasto said bringing the bombings into the political arena would confuse the process of democracy in the country.

“This is the right moment for the government to uphold the law. It is the task of police to arrest the perpetrators of the bombings and bring them to court,” he said.

Head of Kontras’ impunity watch and fulfilment of victims’ rights department, Yanti Andriani, deplored Yudhoyono for his provocative speech, made just hours after the bombing.

“Yudhoyono’s speech came at the wrong time and in the wrong place. For us, it is too also early to believe [his claims] but also too important to ignore,” she said.

“People are shocked by the bombings but President Yudhoyono does not need to make such provocative statements.”

She said that Yudhoyono could have directly ordered the police to follow up information from intelligence if a group of people were out to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, director of the National Coalition of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Nia Syarifuddin, agreed Yudhoyono’s statements would breed distrust.

“The priority should be put on humanitarian efforts, not politics, as this was a human tragedy,” she said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who also ran in the recent election, insisted Friday that the hotel bombings had nothing to do with the presidential election.

The third presidential candidate, Megawati Soekarnoputri, also rebuked Yudhoyono’s statements and questioned why the president hadn’t simply ordered the police to take direct action.

Meanwhile, Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party denied Saturday Yudhoyono’s statements were an attempt to politicize the bombings.

“President Yudhoyono is in no way politicizing the bombings. The president’s statements reflect his anger at the terrorist acts that are having disastrous impacts on the development of the country,” deputy party chairman, Anas Urbaningrum, said, as quoted by Antara.