OSAC Events An OSAC Indonesia Country Coordinating Council-AMCHAM Security Committee meeting was held on 15 October 2010 in Jakarta. The guest speaker was Mr. James W. Schnaible, Regional Security Officer (RSO) for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. A total of 46 people attended, and there was general discussion regarding changes in the Indonesian anti-terror organization structure, terrorism developments, as well as crime, fraud, and safety issues. The next meeting will be on Friday, 10 December. Summary of Security-Related Issues throughout Indonesia The following selected information was compiled from local media sources and submissions by AGI, Hill & Associates. We are deeply grateful to the contributors. Readers are reminded that this is a summary of news items that were deemed relevant to the OSAC and American business community in Indonesia. While readers may be alarmed by the report, the information should be viewed in the proper context, since Indonesia is a country of over 230 million people living on 17,500 islands that stretch over 3,000 miles (4,800 kms). Overall, residents find Indonesia to be a reasonably safe and enjoyable country in which to live. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM OR TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 30 September Gunfight between Police and Terror Suspects in Serdang Bedagai, North Sumatra: During a police operation in search of terror suspects in the Gunung Pamela area of Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatera, authorities were involved in at several conflicts with a group of 12-14 armed men mounted on motorcycles. Fighting continued in the early morning hours of 1 October, when another gunfight erupted. Nine suspected militants were arrested by the police on 3 October. Eight suspects died (including two found dead at a palm oil plantation several days later), and three others experienced minor injuries. Police said over 30 suspects were either killed or arrested. The raid took place after the locals reported suspicious activities involving a group of unidentified men in their neighborhood. The police confiscated a number of guns such as AK 47, M16, FN pistols, and 700 rounds of ammunition. It is believed one of the guns belonged to Bripka Immanuel, the Police Mobile Brigade member who was killed at the CIMB Niaga robbery. 4 October Bank Robbery in Aceh Timur: Four men robbed the Bank BRI branch in Pante Bidari, Aceh Timur at about 10:30am. They came armed with AK 47s and started to threaten customers and employees. The police shot dead two of the robbers and secured Rp 20 million in cash and a motorbike as evidence. The other two robbers escaped. 5 October Police Office Attacked in Wamena, Papua: Dozens of people (allegedly the members of Papua Ethnic Council, or DAP) attacked and damaged the Wamena Airport police office in Jayawijaya, due to the arrest of 4 DAP members. They also protested the confiscated of DAP packages consisting of documents and uniforms worth Rp40 million. One person was reported to have died and three other people were injured, including a policeman. 8 October National Police Chief warns of threat to police stations: The Chief of the Indonesian National Police warned his police commanders to be on the alert for the threat of attacks against police stations following a spate of recent incidents. A number of police stations and officers have been attacked in recent months, either by suspected terrorists or by angry local mobs. The implied emphasis of the warning however appears to have been more focused on the terror threat towards POLRI as an institution. CIVIL UNREST AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 1 October Vandalism in Bogor: Hundreds of people attacked an Ahmadiyah neighborhood in Cisalada, Ciampea, Bogor, due to a prior stabbing incident that allegedly involved Ahmadiyah members. Four houses and a mosque were burned and a school, a car, and three motorbikes were damaged. Page 1 of 7
5 October Houses Burned in Buleleng, Bali: The residents of Lemukih Village in Sawan District, Buleleng, burned 10 houses in their village due to a land dispute. Some villagers, who had lived in the ethnic community for years, suddenly presented land title certificates as proof of ownership. This quickly triggered the anger of the ethnic people, who burned the houses of the title certificate holders. Two Brigade Mobile Brigade squads were sent to the area to assess and bring the situation under control. Additional unrest occurred in the village on 22 October. 6 October Clash in Jombang, East Java: A clash between illegal miners and residents of Sudimoro Village occurred in banks of the Brantas River, Tambelang District, Jombang. The clash was triggered by the villagers anger regarding damage to the environment from the mining activities. Both parties were engaged in a gunfight but no one was injured. 7 October Riot in Lebak Regency, Banten: A riot broke out in Pajagan Village, Lebak Regency, Banten when officers from the National Land Agency (BPN) attempted to conduct a land survey in preparation for the construction of the Karian Reservoir. Hundreds of local residents refused to allow the survey to be conducted and forcibly expelled the BPN officials from the area. Local police officers who saw the riot attempted to intervene but they were set upon by the residents and two officers were seriously beaten. Both officers were hospitalized and were reported to be in serious condition. 12 October Clash in Tanjung Benoa, Bali: A clash occurred between government officials and the employees of Aston Resort and Spa hotel in Tanjung Benoa, Bali. The clash occurred after the officials came to the site to secure the building following a loan dispute between PT Dewata Royal Internasional and PT Karya Teknik Hotelindo (PT KTH). The clash caused hundreds of hotel guest to flee in panic. Five people were arrested. 18 October TNI Residence Attacked in Timika, Papua: Hundreds of residents from Jl Pattimura, Timika, attacked a house belonging to a TNI member in Jl Budi Utomo, Timika, Papua. The attack was triggered by the death of Pattimura residents who were allegedly shot by the soldier. They burned and damaged part of the house and its facilities. 20 October Demonstrations in Jakarta: The demonstrations planned for Jakarta on 20 October in commemoration of the first anniversary of Yudhoyono Boediono administration turned out to be far less significant than authorities had feared. Around 1,000 demonstrators from a variety of groups held demonstrations outside the Presidential Palace on Jalan Merdeka Utara, Central Jakarta, while a further 100-150 demonstrated around the Hotel Indonesia roundabout. The demonstrations were largely without incident, but police used tear gas in Menteng to disperse a small, unruly group from BENDERA. A student was shot in the knee when the demonstration became unruly and disrupted traffic. Eight police officers from the Central Jakarta police district are reported to be under investigation. Other demonstrations took place in several provinces such as Bali, Palu in Central Sulawesi, Cirebon in West Java, Semarang and Kudus in Central Java, Medan in North Sumatra, Yogyakarta, and Makassar in South Sulawesi. 24 October Vandalism in Tasikmalaya, West Java: A motorbike gang attacked a house in Jl Leuwidahu, Cipedes, Tasikmalaya. They stoned the house, damaging its windows. The police are still looking for the perpetrators. 25 October Clash in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara: A clash occurred between the demonstrators and the police in front of the Bima Election Commission in West Nusa Tenggara. The clash took place during the demonstration rejecting the inauguration of the Bima Regent and Deputy elect due to alleged money politics involvement. Six people and two policemen were reported to have been injured. VIOLENT CRIME INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 30 September Robbery in Surabaya, East Java: Two men robbed two women in front of Bank Mandiri in Jl Dharmahusada Indah, Surabaya, East Java after the victims had withdrawn a large sum of money. The perpetrators threatened the women with a machete, demanding them to give the money bag. The women then gave them the bag with Rp100 million belonging to their company. Page 2 of 7
2 October - Robbery in East Jakarta: Eight men robbed the Public Order office in East Jakarta in the early morning hours. They went inside the building, tied five security guards up, and took valuables including laptops, cell phones, CPU, and Rp 3 million in cash. 6 October - Armed Robbery in Bekasi: A man attempted to steal a motorbike parked in front of the victim s house in Mekar Mukti Village, Cikarang Utara District, Bekasi. A witness saw the attempted robbery and screamed, causing the motorbike owner to come out of her house and attempt to stop the theft. However, the robber took out a pistol, shot the owner, and took off with her motorbike. The owner was hospitalized. 7 October Kidnapped boy found at Bojong Gede Rail Station: An 11-year-old schoolboy, Gregorius Darmawan, was reported kidnapped on his way home from school in Depok by a pair of unidentified men, and was later was found abandoned but unharmed at the Bojong Gede Rail station that evening. The motive for the kidnapping remains unclear. 10 October Armed robbery in Bekasi: Three men stole two motorbikes parked outside the Phoenix Internet Café in Jl Kedasih Raya, Cikarang, Bekasi. They came to the café and raised the suspicions its owners, who were watching their behavior on the CCTV. The owners came out to see what the three men wanted, when suddenly the suspects took out guns and started shooting. No one was injured, but the three suspects escaped. 11 October Bag Snatches in Central Jakarta: Two men riding a motorcycle stole bags belonging to two female motorcyclists at the Proklamasi Statue, Menteng, Central Jakarta. The two victims were riding around the statue on their motorbikes when suddenly another motorbike came alongside and the men driving it snatched the victim s bag. The victims screamed for help and people in the area were able to stop the thieves. One man was arrested but the second managed to escape. The police are still looking for the fugitive. 11 October Violent Mugging in Kediri, East Java: Ten men assaulted a couple at Kleco, Pesantren District, Kediri, when the two were dating in the area. The perpetrators approached and disturbed the couple and then started to assault them by beating them and striking them with rocks. After the assault, the men demanded the couple hand over their money and cell phones. The police have arrested eight suspects. 11 October Robbery in Makassar, South Sulawesi: A group of men robbed the Harapan Baru department store in Jl Sungai Saddang, Makassar, South Sulawesi by checking into a hotel located behind the target building. The robbers checked into the Maricaya Hotel on Saturday 9 October and booked three rooms. They then broke through the hotel wall in order to enter the department store. The store security found out about the robbery on Monday 11 October, when a Security guard he opened the store doors and saw that the store was in a mess. After reporting the break-in, police arrived on the scene and found the hole into the neighboring hotel room wall along with tools such as a car jack, crowbar, along with a range of goods from the store left behind by the thieves. 12 October Robbery in Probolinggo, East Java: Five masked men robbed a house belonging to a coal entrepreneur in Jl Pantura, Karangpranti Village, Gending District, Probolinggo. The robbers entered the house by damaging the back fence of the house and climbed through the maid s room window. They threatened the residents with sickles and assaulted the lady of the house. They stole Rp15 million in cash and jewelries worth Rp30 million. 13 October Police shootout with armed robbers in Riau: Gang crossfire between robbers and police officers re-occurred in Kampar, Riau. There were 8-10 armed robbers with rifles and handguns. It was not known whether they had robbed anyone in Riau or have connections with robberies in West Sumatra. One suspect was shot and arrested, while others are being pursued. It was feared the perpetrators fled abroad from Riau. 13 October Robbery in Jember, East Java: A group of people robbed Sabar Computer store in Jl PB Sudirman, Jember, East Java. They broke the gate s locks and cut the door chain in order to enter the store. Witnesses saw a black minivan parked outside the store with several men going back and forth from the store to the car, but they didn t think it was a theft since the store lights were on. The thieves took 43 laptops, 5 LCDs, and 3 printers worth Rp221 million. Page 3 of 7
13 October House Robbery in Tanggerang: At approximately 3am, a gang of five men robbed a house in Kedaung Barat, Sepatan District, Tanggerang. They broke a window in order to enter the house, threatened the residents with machetes, and stole valuables including Rp100 million in cash, 200 grams of gold jewelry, six cell phones, and a laptop. 15 October Home Invaders Kill 2 in Riau: A group of robbers broke into a house in Graha Garuda Permai, Tampan District, Pekanbaru, Riau. They entered the house, killed the residents a mother and her daughter and stole valuables including cash, jewelries, and a motorbike. The robbery was discovered when the neighbors found two dead bodies inside the house. 17 October One Killed East Jakarta Robbery: Four men broke into a house in Palmeriam, Matraman, East Jakarta and killed a man after assaulting his wife and nephew. They took three cell phones and a wallet. 18 October Robbery in Cirebon, West Java: Two men on a motorbike robbed a woman, also driving a motorbike, who was on her way to a bank in Jl Pekalangan, Cirebon, West Java. The victim was intending to deposit a large sum of money when suddenly the robbers came along side her and kicked her bike until she fell. The robbers then threatened her with a gun, grabbed her bag with Rp350 million in cash, and escaped 19 October Police Officer Killed by Mob in Cirebon, West Java: A riot developed after angry residents of Grogol village in Kapetakan, Cirebon caught one of a gang of motorcycle thieves operating in the area. Village authorities called the police to take charge of the detained suspect, but the mob reacted violently to having their revenge denied and responded by stoning the responding officers. One officer was struck on the back of the head and died afterwards at the local hospital. 21 October Robbery in West Jakarta: Two robbers attempted to steal a motorbike belonging to two men in Jl Tanjung Pura, Kalideres, West Jakarta. They stopped the victims when they were passing down the street, threatened them with a machete and demanded the motorbike. When the victims refused, the robbers shot one of them and assaulted another. The robbers escaped after they took the victims cell phones. 22 October Armed Robbery of Residence, Senayan, Jakarta: At around 11am a group of five men posing as visitors forced entry to a residence in the PLN Housing Estate in Senayan, Central Jakarta in what is believed to have been an attempt to rob the house. The intruders produced homemade firearms, threatened the domestic staff on site and shot and wounded one of them. The thieves escaped with an estimated Rp 50 million in cash and an undisclosed quantity of jewelry. 23 October Robbery in Bali: A man broke into a room of a boarding house in Jl Tukad Pancoran, Denpasar, Bali and stabbed a 20-year-old female student while trying to rob her, and ran away after two of her neighbors tried to force the door after hearing the victim scream for help. Police arrested a suspect and the victim was treated at the hospital. 24 October Explosion in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara: On Sunday night an explosion occurred in Bima Election Commission office in West Nusa Tenggara. The explosion damaged the office facilities but injured no one. The police are investigating the source of the explosion and sixteen witnesses are being questioned. NON-VIOLENT CRIME INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 18 October Attempted ATM Robbery in West Jakarta: Three men attempted to rob a Bank Mandiri ATM in Taman Sari, West Jakarta. The ATM security guard caught them in the act when they tried to break into the machine using a screwdriver. One man was captured and two others managed to get away. The suspect is in police custody. 18 October ATM Robbery in Riau: A group of men robbed a BRI ATM machine located in an Indonesian Air Force housing complex in Pekanbaru, Riau. The robbers broke open the machine and took the money. The total loss was estimated to be Rp153 million. Page 4 of 7
ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 3 October Floods in Jakarta: Floods occurred in Muara Kamal, North Jakarta, due to high rainfall. Hundreds of houses were inundated forcing the residents to flee from their homes. Floods also occurred in Petogogan, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, due to the overflow of Krukut River. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the area. 4 October Flashfloods in West Papua: Flashfloods occurred in Wasior, Teluk Wandama Regency, Papua, due to high rainfall that caused the rivers to overflow. Dozens of houses were swept away, 56 people died and 81 were injured. Hundreds more people were evacuated from the area. 6 October Three killed in Bad Weather, Metropolitan Jakarta: Heavy rain with strong winds in the Jakarta metropolitan area resulted in at least five accidents and three deaths. The first accident occurred in Tangerang, at Jl. KS Tubun, with a passenger in a pick-up truck dying instantly when the vehicle was struck by a falling tree. In Kebayoran Lama, a Transjakarta bus driver was killed when the toilet at a Transjakarta bus shelter was hit by a bus. In Kota Delta Mas, Cikarang, a man died and his wife was burned after being struck by lightning in their ornamental plants stall during yesterday evening s storm. 6 October Floods and Whirlwind in Bekasi and Pandeglang: Floods occurred in Bekasi due to heavy rainfall and bad drainage in the city. Thousands of houses were inundated. On the same day, heavy rain and whirlwind occurred in Kerta Mukti Village, Sumur District, Pandeglang, Banten. Hundreds of houses were damaged, eight of them were wrecked. 7 October Houses crushed in Avalanche, Gunungsitoli, North Sumatra: A total of six houses in Gunungsitoli Township, North Sumatra were crushed by landslides. The landslide occurred on Wednesday night due to heavy rain. Landslides in the area also badly damaged roads, with a 50- meter section of the main road blocked, paralyzing traffic between the town and Binaka Airport. 11 October Floods in Sintang, and Palopo: Floods occurred in Sintang, West Kalimantan due to overflow of Kapuas River. Hundreds of houses, schools, and government buildings were inundated. Floods also occurred in two districts in Palopo City, South Sulawesi due to rivers swollen by heavy rainfall. Hundreds of houses were inundated. 12 October Earthquake in Kaimana, West Papua: At 5:21pm, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale occurred 131 kilometers of Kaimana, West Papua. There were no casualties reported. 12 October 14 Dead or Missing in Landslide in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi: At approximately 12pm a landslide hit Bunta Village, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi at a palm plantation of PT Ana, partner of PT Astra Argo Lestari. 11 people were found dead, three people were buried and are still sought; 14 people were injured. The victims are workers of PT Ana palm plantation. 14 October Floods in Bekasi: Floods occurred in Simpangan and Karang Asih villages in Cikarang, Bekasi due to the overflow of Ciberem River that was caused by heavy rainfall. Hundreds of houses, schools, and public facilities were inundated. 15 October Floods in East Jakarta: Floods occurred in five sub-districts in Makassar District, East Jakarta, due the overflowing of the Sunter River. Hundreds of houses and schools have been inundated and at least 1,000 people were evacuated from the area. 21 October Whirlwind in Depok: Whirlwinds and heavy rain occurred in Curug, Bojongsari district, Depok, damaging 350 houses in the neighborhood. Several people are now homeless after their houses are damaged. 22 October Thick Haze Forces Airport Closure in Riau: Dumai Airport in Riau was closed from 6:30pm and 9:30am due to thick haze that disrupted visibility. Two flights were delayed. The thick Page 5 of 7
haze was caused by forest fires burning for over one week and also disrupted the daily activities in Pekanbaru. As the haze drifted to Singapore and Malaysia, both countries urged Indonesia to immediately stop the fire that polluted the air. It was reported that Indonesia has sent hundreds of fire fighters to extinguish with the fire. 23 October Floods in Jakarta: Floods occurred in East and South Jakarta area, due to heavy rain that caused a river to overflow. Hundreds of houses in Halim, Cipinang Melayu, East Jakarta, and Pondok Pinang, Petogogan in South Jakarta were inundated. 24 October Floods and Gridlocks all over Jakarta: Due to four hours heavy rainfall in Jakarta most of areas in the capital city were flooded, resulting in gridlocked roads all over the city. In South Jakarta, flooding caused thousands of vehicles to be at a standstill in Jl HR Rasuna Said, Jl Tendean, Mampang Prapatan, Jl Sudirman, Jl Gatot Subroto, Jl Ampera Raya, Jl TB Simatupang, and Pondok Aren. In Central Jakarta, traffic jams occurred in Senen, Cempaka Putih, and Harmoni while East Jakarta, Cawang, Dewi Sartika, and Cililitan experienced similar problems. It was also reported that Bintaro toll road had to be closed due to flooding. The flooding caused hundreds of houses in Bintaro Pesanggrahan, Petogogan, Kemang Utara, and Tanggerang Selatan to be inundated. Thousands of people were evacuated from the area. 24 October Tsunami Hits Sumatra Island: More than 300 people were killed and hundreds are missing when the Mantawai Islands off the coast of Sumatra was hit by several three-meter tsunami waves following a powerful 7.7-Richter-scale earthquake. Aftershocks continued for several days. At least 10 villages were reported to have been flattened with houses and other infrastructure totally destroyed. Immediately after the earthquake hit a general tsunami warning was issued but was later cancelled. Officials have now agreed that the early warning system installed after the devastating 2004 tsunami failed and officials have hinted that some of the buoys designed to relay impending tsunami movements in the area of the island chain had been vandalized. However, the tsunami waves struck 10 minutes after the earthquake, casting doubt whether residents would have had sufficient time to climb to safely. Initial attempts to move disaster relief operations into the area were thwarted by the remoteness of the area and extremely poor weather that prevented helicopters from gaining access and high seas slowed down the progress of aid by sea as ships battled the inclement conditions. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has cut short his visit to Vietnam for an ASEAN summit to personally lead and supervise recue efforts and is expected to tour the area on today. Meanwhile the Indonesian Red Cross which is led by former Vice President Yusuf Kalla has dispatched a team to the island with tents and other relief supplies. 26 October - Mount Merapi Eruptions: Mount Merapi, Indonesia s most active volcano, erupted three times causing huge quantities of ash and hot gas to spew into the atmosphere. The volcanic material was thrown a mile into the air and heat clouds swept down its slopes. This was the first in a series of daily eruptions that continue to this writing and have claimed 30 lives and severely injured many more. Sadly, one of the dead is Mbah Marijan, who was found with others in his house 4 kilometers from the summit (he had refused to leave). Although a 10- kilometer exclusion zone was in force many of the 40,000 villagers who had evacuated from the area broke though the cordon each day to check on their livestock and belongings, impervious to the dangers from pyroplastic flows that are a deadly mixture of hot poisonous gases and can sweep down the mountain faster than a galloping horse. 27 October Floods in Palopo, South Sulawesi: Floods occurred in two districts in Palopo, South Sulawesi due to the overflow of the Ammassangan River. Thousands of houses were inundated and the Trans Sulawesi route was closed. INDUSTRIAL AND TRANSPORTATION INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 1 October Power Loss at Soekarno Hatta Airport: The Soekarno Hatta airport in Jakarta experienced power loss for about 25 minutes due to disturbance in a high voltage tower. However, the blackout didn t disrupt airport services, operation and flight schedules. 2 October Train Wreck in Pemalang, Central Java: A train crashed involving the Argo Bromo Anggrek train and Senja Utama Train occurred in Petarukan station, Pemalang, Central Java. Thirty Page 6 of 7
four people were reported to have died and many more injured. It was reported the likely cause was human error. 10 October Fire at Rangkasbitung Train Station, Lebak, Banten: Fire broke out at Rangkasbitung Train Station in Lebak, Banten, burning 25 train carriages and causing hundreds of passengers to be stranded. Police later arrested three men suspected of setting fire on the carriages. 18 October Yogyakarta Airport Temporarily Closed: The Adisucipto Airport in Yogyakarta was temporarily closed for one hour, starting from 5:30pm, due to bad weather. Heavy wind caused disruption to communication system and the airport s electricity supply. Several flights were delayed. 19 October Tire Bursts on Air Asia Plane: An Air Asia aircraft that flew from Kuala Lumpur to Medan had a tire blow out while taxiing to the terminal gate at Polonia Airport, Medan, North Sumatra. There were no victims in the incident. 27 October Plane Crash in Nabire, West Papua: A Cessna Skytruck plane belonging to the National Police crashed in Wandar District, Nabire, West Papua killing all five passengers. The airplane was carrying aid for flood victims in Wasior. The cause of the accident is unknown but weather conditions were not good at the time. DRUG AND NARCO-TERRORISM INCIDENTS AND ISSUES Australian National Arrested for Drug Importation in Bali: In mid-october a 43-year-old Australian man was detained by Customs officers in possession of 1.7 kg of crystal methamphetamine after arriving in Denpasar on an Air Asia flight from Bangkok. The drugs were found concealed in the man s suitcase. POLICE RESPONSE INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 27 October Gen. Timur Pradopo Inaugurated as National Police Chief: Gen. Timur Pradopo was inaugurated as the new National Police Chief, replacing Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri. A legislative member from Commission III, Ahmad Yani, stated that the House would monitor Timur s work especially for the first 100 days of his tenure. If the House found his performance wasn t adequate then there is a possibility that they would revoke the recommendation. The inauguration took place at Mobile Brigade HQ in Kelapa Dua, Depok. MEDICAL EMERGENCY INCIDENTS AND ISSUES 14 October Fire in Jakarta and Samarinda: A fire broke out on level 6 of the Finance Ministry building in Jl Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta. The fire was reportedly caused by a cigarette. Although the fire wasn t big the building was filled with heavy smoke, causing hundreds of employees to run outside in panic. Separately, a fire broke in a residential area in Jl Dr. Sutomo, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, due to an unattended stove. Hundreds of people lost their homes. There were no deaths or injuries but the total loss was estimated to be hundreds of million of rupiah Page 7 of 7