Nation must not overlook terrorism's root causes: legislator

Jakarta, NU Online
An Indonesian legislator highly appreciated the police`s success in the war on terrorism but warned the nation not to overlook the root causes of the problem.

Among the root causes of terrorism were poverty, injustices, religious radicalism, weakening social solidarity, and state arrogance, Prof. Hendrawan Supratikno said here Thursday.<>

According to the member of parliament of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) faction, all those problems need to be tackled if the threat of terrorism was to be eliminated.

The anti-terror police`s success in killing and arresting armed terror suspects in Aceh Province and Pamulang sub-district earlier this week was a "capital" for crushing their networks in Indonesia, he said.

However, the principle of `unity in diversity` as the nation`s social capital needed to be maintained because only by honoring this value would the efforts eradicate the terrorists` ideology succeed, he said.

"In dealing with the terrorist ideology, we need to maintain the unity in diversity principle as our nation`s social capital," said the member of the House of Representatives` commission on trade and industry.

Over the past two weeks, Indonesian police anti-terror personnel have been hunting a group of armed terror suspects in Aceh Besar district.

Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said the terror suspects wanted to make his province their base of struggle in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Pamulang sub-district, Tangerang City, Banten Province, on Tuesday (March 9), the police also gunned down three terror suspects and arrested three others.

The dead terror suspects were Dulmatin, Indonesia`s most wanted terrorist, and two of his body guards.

Dulmatin, who was confirmed by the Indonesian police responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings was shot dead in a raid on an internet outlet in Pamulang.

The top terrorist`s death was not only announced by the Indonesian police chief in Jakarta on Wednesday but also by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his state visit in Canberra, Australia.

Indonesia has been fighting terrorist cells in the country since the 2002 Bali bombings that claimed 202 lives, including 88 Australian holiday makers.

Two years before the terrorists attacked the resort island of Bali, Indonesia was rocked by the Christmas eve bombings in 2000. (ant/dar)