INDONESIA: INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE PRODUCED FEW RESULTS IN THE INVESTIGATION TO INDENTIFY THE PERPETRATORS OF THE BALI BOMBING

Record ID: 647664

  • Title: INDONESIA: INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE PRODUCED FEW RESULTS IN THE INVESTIGATION TO INDENTIFY THE PERPETRATORS OF THE BALI BOMBING
  • Date: 16th October 2002
  • Summary: (W3) KUTA, BALI, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 16, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV OF AUSTRALIAN FORENSIC POLICE WALKING THROUGH RUBBLE 0.05 2. SV/CU/SLV FORENSIC POLICE INSPECTING RUBBLE (6 SHOTS) 0.52 3. SLV/LV FORENSIC POLICE REMOVING RUBBLE FROM SITE (2 SHOTS) 1.09 4. SLV OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY BLAST 1.14 5. CU SIGN SAYS "TERORIS NO" 1.20 6. SLV/MCU OF FORENSIC TEAMS AT THE SITE (2 SHOTS) 1.27 (W3) DENPASAR, BALI, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 16, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. SLV/SV EXTERIOR OF BALI POLICE STATION (2 SHOTS) 1.37 8. SV BALI POLICE CHIEF, BUDI SETYAWAN, ENTERS NEWS CONFERENCE 1.40 9. SV JOURNALISTS 1.43 10. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) SETYAWAN SAYING: "From the corporation of the explosion material, we found at the site of the Sari club, the material is RDX. This material originates from HMX, plus nitrate." 2.11 11. SV JOURNALISTS 2.15 12. STILL PHOTOS OF 10 PAKISTANIS QUESTIONED BY BALI POLICE 2.25 (W3) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 16, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. MCU/SLV OF INDONESIAN PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI IN A MEETING WITH AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALEXANDER DOWNER AND DELEGATION (4 SHOTS) 2.42 14. SLV CAMERAMEN WAITING OUTSIDE 2.45 15. SV DOWNER WALKING OUTSIDE TO SPEAK TO JOURNALISTS 2.50 16. MCU (English) DOWNER SAYING: "That all of our governments, Australia, Indonesia, other governments in the region, Malaysia, Singapore. Thailand, Philippines, we all take a very strong stand on the issue of terrorism. And I think, if the Indonesian government does move ahead with this decree or this regulation as a short-term measure for giving the government greater powers in dealing with suspected terrorists, then that will be an important step forward." 3.19 17. SLV OF DOWNER WITH REPORTERS 3.23 18. SV DOWNER WALKING AWAY AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE 3.28 (W3) KUTA, BALI, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 16, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 19. SV AUSTRALIAN RELATIVES AT AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE 3.33 20. CU WOMAN CRYING 3.54 21. SV OF RELATIVES AT THE CONSULATE 3.58 22. MCU (English) SHANE GRAINGER, A RELATIVE WHOSE TWO NEPHEWS NAMED AARON AND JUSTIN, AND JUSTIN'S WIFE STACEY ARE STILL MISSING, SAYING: "Well, they said it could take weeks to positively identify some of these corpses. It's the worst thing - not knowing. I think we sort of realise now they won't be coming home alive, but not knowing where they are or their bodies, we won't be able to take them home." 4.10 23. SLV BALINESE AT SITE OF BOMB ATTACK 4.16 24. SV/CU BALINESE PRAYING (2 SHOTS) 4.25 25. SLV WREATHS AT SITE 4.30 26. CU BURNT SHOES AND SLIPPERS ON GROUND 4.35 27. SV/CU OF MEN MAKING OF WREATHS (6 SHOTS) 5.01 28. SLV CROWD WALKING IN PROCESSION WITH WREATHS 5.06 29. CU OF WREATHS IN PROCESSION 5.11 30. SLV OF PROCESSION (2 SHOTS) 5.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DENPASAR AND KUTA, BALI, INDONESIA / JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA2VFQPLBZMEFTDKK2I17D77XUH
  • Story Text: Under intense international pressure, Indonesian
    authorities have produced few results in the investigation to
    identify the perpetrators of the Bali weekend bombing - the
    world's deadliest strike since the September 11 attacks on the
    United States.

    Indonesia is preparing to enact emergency anti-terror
    measures to crack down on militant Islamic groups as it hunts
    the perpetrators, a move welcomed by Australian Foreign
    Minister Alexander Downer.

    Distraught relatives who have flown to Bali are continuing
    the agonising wait for authorities to identify bodies of
    missing loved ones killed in the attacks.



    Australian forensic police joined Indonesian
    counterparts on Wednesday (October 16) in the gruelling task
    of searching through the charred ruins of the Sari nightclub,
    as Indonesian investigators failed to name any suspects in the
    worst terrorist attack ever to strike Indonesia's Bali
    paradise island.

    The Bali police chief said he would not confirm nor deny a
    report that a former air force member had confessed to
    building bombs that killed 181 people in the weekend blasts.

    But Setyawan did insist that his team and other Indonesian
    authorities are moving the investigation forward.

    "More than 50 witnesses have been intensely investigated
    and of them two people are being investigated in even more
    deaths."
    "We will develop that," he said when asked whether he
    could confirm or deny the report in The Washington Post. The
    Post sourced its information to an unnamed Indonesian security
    official linking the former Indonesian air force member to the
    explosions.

    No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's
    (October 12) blasts, that killed mostly foreign tourists.

    Indonesia on Monday (October 14) for the first time linked
    Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network to the attacks.

    Many of the badly burned and dismembered bodies have yet
    to be identified, but officials believe the vast majority are
    Australian.

    Ten Pakistanis have been questioned by police in Bali.

    There was no confirmation on whether they have been linked to
    the weekend bombings and no charges have been filed against
    them.

    Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri moved on
    Wednesday to enact the emergency anti-terrorism measures.

    The controversial anti-terror bill giving police stronger
    powers to act against suspects at the expense of some of their
    existing rights has been languishing in draft form, as the
    government tries to come up with a version to satisfy
    parliament.

    The new regulations being rammed through by presidential
    decree would allow the government to move without waiting for
    legislative approval, although parliament could later pass
    laws replacing them.

    With the United States and jittery Asian neighbours piling
    pressure on Indonesia to take firm action, a top aide to
    President Megawati Sukarnoputri said in Jakarta that new
    regulations would be put in place "as soon as possible".

    Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who met
    Megawati during his visit to Jakarta, has welcomed the move.

    "That all of our governments, Australia, Indonesia, other
    governments in the region, Malaysia, Singapore. Thailand,
    Philippines, we all take a very strong stand on the issue of
    terrorism. And I think, if the Indonesian government does move
    ahead with this decree or this regulation as a short-term
    measure for giving the government greater powers in dealing
    with suspected terrorists, then that will be an important step
    forward," he said.

    Neighbours Singapore and Malaysia have used internal
    security laws to round up dozens of members of Jemaah
    Islamiah, but they say others in the militant group have gone
    to ground in Indonesia, secure from police action partly due
    to its weak laws.

    Australians account for the largest single group of
    victims in the bomb blasts, with 33 confirmed dead and 140
    missing. Up to 30 Britains are feared killed.

    Asian countries point a finger at a Muslim cleric living in
    Indonesia, Abu Bakar Bashir, as leader of militant group
    Jemaah Islamiah, they say has planned acts of terror
    throughout the region. Bashir denies any knowledge of the
    group or links to terrorism.

    Jemaah Islamiah, which has links to al Qaeda, is a prime
    suspect behind the blasts.

    Meanwhile, distraught relatives continue to arrive at the
    Australian Consulate in the Balinese capital of Denpasar
    hoping for the best. But, almost always, they leave with even
    more pain.

    Australia has said it could take weeks to identify many of
    the victims and appealed to grieving families to be patient.

    Shane Grainger flew in from Australia, hoping to bring
    home the bodies of his two nephews and a pregnant
    niece-in-law. Like most relatives whose loved ones are still
    missing, Grainger is feeling the worst pain.

    "It's the worst thing - not knowing. I think we sort of
    realise now they won't be coming home alive, but not knowing
    where they are or their bodies, we won't be able to take them
    home," Grainger said.

    The Australian government has sent investigators and
    specialist body identification experts to Bali and has flown
    five military refrigeration units to help preserve the
    remains, which are stacked in morgues using only ice blocks to
    slow decomposition.

    Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Australian
    authorities were working as fast as
    possible to compile a comprehensive list of those missing and
    would then contact the families to collect information, such
    as hair clippings and dental records, to help in
    identification.

    He said it would be impossible to identify most bodies by
    fingerprints due to severe burns and it may be necessary to
    send bone marrow samples back to Australia to identify
    corpses.

    He said it took Australian authorities, in controlled
    conditions, about two weeks to identify 15 people who died in
    a hostel fire in the Queensland town of Childers in June 2000.

    Australia has also hired international disaster morticians
    to prepare remains for repatriation.

    For local residents though, the anguish remains.


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