Cop killings spark concern in Jakarta

JAKARTA - Two policemen have been shot in four days in the Greater Jakarta area, raising concerns of rising violence nearing the heart of the capital, and with some analysts saying terrorism should not be ruled out.

On Friday night, four men shot off-duty officer Ruslan Kusuma in the leg while he was cleaning his motorcycle at a carwash in Depok and fled with his motorcycle.

That followed the murder of officer Sukardi by four men on Tuesday along a major road near the capital centre.

He was shot four times while escorting six trucks carrying construction materials. The killers escaped with his gun.

The brazen nature of the attacks that have killed three policemen since July in the capital and its outskirts has made residents uneasy over rising lawlessness.

They have led to calls for policemen to wear bulletproof vests and helmets to protect themselves.

"If the police can be killed, what more a judge? How safe is this country? These incidents can instil fear," Constitutional Court chief Akil Mokhtar told reporters.

Analyst Neta S. Pane of non-governmental organisation Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) told The Sunday Times: "The incidents are worrying as it seems to suggest a trend - targeting policemen. Police should quickly resolve these cases to deter copycats and act to prevent illegal firearms smuggling."

His organisation estimates that there are 17,000 illegal firearms in Indonesia.

Friday night's shooting was the 23rd shooting that IPW has recorded in three months across Indonesia, mostly in Java. Of this, six targeted police officers and only one case has been solved.

Some analysts were quick to link the shootings to terrorism, but police said they had no hard evidence of links to militants in the killings.

Instead, investigations have exposed moonlighting by policemen, and raised questions about their professionalism. Many take on side-jobs to supplement their low pay.

Officer Sukardi was found to have acted alone and not reported his duty escorting the trucks that night.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed his concerns and regret over the incident and called for security in and around Jakarta to be tightened.

Police chief Timur Pradopo told his men to remain vigilant and not to be cowed by the attacks.

The rising concerns prompted police spokesman Ronny Sompie to offer assurances that security agencies were capable of ensuring safety at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings in Bali early next month.

"All is safe," he said. "Apec and other events will be secured."

zubaidah@sph.com.sg

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