SECURITY TIGHTENED IN BALI AFTER AMROZI'S EXECUTION

By Andi Abdussalam

      Jakarta, Nov 9 (ANTARA) - The local authorities tightened security in the Indonesian tourist resort island of Bali following the execution very early on Sunday of three death-row convicts Amrozi, Mukhlas alias Ali Ghufron and Imam Samudra, who bombed the island of god in 2002 killing at least 202 people.

        "Military and police personnel will continue to stay alert in order to maintain security in Bali," Udayana Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hotmangaradja Panjaitan said on Sunday.

        He said as a destination of world tourists and scene of the bombing in 2002, Bali had to be safeguarded so that foreign visitors would feel secure and comfortable.

        Panjaitan expressed hope that the execution of the three Bali bombers would not create hatred among the bombers' supporters and relatives because the execution was carried out based on the legal process.

        Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, who had been in death row since 2003, were executed by a firing squad in Nusa Kambangan, Cilacap district, Central Java, at the wee hours on Sunday.

        In the meantime, Bali Regional Police Chief Insp. Gen. T Ashikin Husein said he had ordered his rank and file to tighten control over ships coming in and going out of the tourist resort island.

        "I have ordered police personnel to increase supervision and tightly control the flow of ships and cargo in the Bali waters," the regional police chief said.

        He said that the tight control had to be carried out in anticipation of undesired happenings after the execution of the three death-row convicts who played the key roles in the Bali bombing.

        "With the execution of the three convicts, Bali remains on alert. After all, Bali has suffered major bombings twice," the Bali regional police said.

        It is feared that parties unsatisfied with the execution would cause security disturbance as a criminologist warned that new problems could arise in the post-execution period.

        "The several times delay of the Bali bombers' execution has given a chance to public controversies to arise which could create a new problem," legal expert and criminologist Adrianus Meliala of the University of Indonesia said.

        He said the Attorney General's Office (AGO) should have learned a lesson from the case of Fabianus Tibo et al, which sparked controversies and caused new problems. The execution of Tibo was delayed so it gave a chance to the public to raise controversies.

        "The government, in this case the AGO, should have taken a lesson from the controversies arising before Tibo's execution because it took too long for the government to carry out the capital punishment," Meliala said referring to the convict in the Poso conflict.

        Likewise, it took about five years for the government to carry out the execution of Amrozi et al after the Denpasar district court sentenced them to death in 2003.

        But a Democrat Party executive said the government was right in its step with regard to the execution. "The government has made the right decision," Deputy Chairman of the Democrat Party faction in the House, Sutan Bathoegana, said.

        The execution has taken a long process because security officers were willing to uncover terrorist network in the country so that it could be nabbed in the bud.

        Bathoegana, who is also a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VII which deals with energy affairs, said that the government's step to delay the execution was proven to be effective in uncovering the terrorist network.

        "The shooting to death of the terrorist network leader Dr Azhari, is an example of the effective approach," he added.

        Besides, security officers also succeeded in uncovering the terrorist network in Palembang, South Sumatra, as well in Pelumpang near the state-owned oil company Pertamina's installations in North Jakarta, recently.

        "The uncovering of the network in Pelumpang is a big achievement because the terrorists were already close to a vital installation facility, namely the Pertamina installations," he said.

        Against a possible backlash, an observer however said the execution of Amrozi et al, like the previous executions, would soon also sink into oblivion. With the execution, Bali will again enjoy increasing foreign tourist arrivals.

        The world, including the Australian people who saw 88 of their compatriots killed in the bombing, will soon forget the execution so that Bali is expected to be busily visited by holiday makers during this year's X'mas and the 2009 New Year.

        "Thank God, the execution is done eight weeks before the peak of the holiday season at year-end. It seems that Bali will be busily receiving the increasing number of foreign tourists because in a few days to come the public will soon forget the execution," Bali's tourism observer I Nyoman Darma Putra said

        Putra, who is the author of "Tourism, Development and Terrorism in Bali" said in the next two days, Indonesia, particularly Bali, would be completely safe from terrorist attacks.

        This safe condition would have a positive impact on the country's tourism, he said.

        "If nothing happens in the next few days, Australian tourists who were worried about security in Bali after the Australian government issued a travel warning, are expected to spend their holidays in Bali at the year end," he said. (T.A014/A/HNG/A/s012) 09-11-2008 22:52:13