Terrorism is not allowed by any religion but is presumption of innocence not applied to terror suspects?"Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian police, particularly the special detachment (Densus 88) anti-terror squad, need to review the way in fighting terrorism by giving a priority to dialogs, an observer said.
"Terrorism in whatever form, and wherever it is, must be fought in the bud and totally eliminated. However, seeing the shooting of terror suspects to death in Bandung, it seems that police need to review the way they fight terrorism," Nanat Fatah Natsir, a former rector of the State Islamic University (UIN) in Bandung, West Java, said here on Saturday.
He said that the police had better prioritize dialogs in the first place through a mediator of, such, a Muslim cleric or a representative of an Islamic university. Nanat said that by shooting a terror suspect to death on the spot would cause police to lose traces of its networks.
"Terrorism is not allowed by any religion but is presumption of innocence not applied to terror suspects?" Nanat, who is also the presidium chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI) said.
On Wednesday the Densus 88 anti-terror squad and police officers from the West Java Police shot dead three terror suspects after a shootout four about even hours at a rented house in Batu Rengat hamlet, RT2/8, Cegondewah Hilir village, Bandung District, West Java.
The attack by Densus 88 personnel against the terror suspects sparked pros and cons among the public, political elite and observers.
Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission III Gede Pasek Suardika praised the performance of the Densus 88 officers who were able to paralyze terror suspects in a number of regions in Indonesia.
"I appreciate the achievement of the Indonesian Police's Densus 88 anti-terror squad which is able to crush terror suspects even before they carry out their terror acts in the public," Gene Pasek said.
He said that apparatuses should not merely carry out preventive efforts which lead to exchanges of fires in handling terror suspects. The most important thing, he said, was that how it applies a repressive action to disband and cut off their ideological chain.
In the meantime, Edy suandi Hamid, the rector of the Indonesian Islamic University of Yogyakarta said the raid by the Densus 88 left the impression as if it was presenting an `entertainment` to the public by showing its raid and killing of terror suspects.
"This has bad impact on education because the attack is covered live by televisions which are also watched by children. Psychologically, it would affect the development of children's personality and would instill sadism in their mind," he said.
He said that the raid in Bandung looked like a show of war by shooting to death the target.
It was reported earlier that three terrorist suspects were killed during a firefight with an anti-terror squad in Cigondewah, Margaasih, Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday evening.
"An anti-terror squad from Densus 88 and West Java police has successfully paralyzed terrorist suspects. Three were killed while another one was arrested alive," National Police chief General Timur Pradopo said on the scene of the incident following the seven-hour operation.
The suspects killed are Budi Syarif alias Angga, Sarane and Jonet while the other one who is alive is Haris Fauzi.
A Densus 88 squad on Wednesday morning also carried out a raid in Cipacing, Sumedang, West Java, and caught Masum believed to be involved in the terrorist network.
"All of the terrorist suspects killed were taken to Kramat Jati Police hospital in Jakarta for an autopsy while those caught alive would be questioned for further investigation of the case," he said.
General Pradopo said the raid and law enforcement operations had been done according to standard operating procedures.
"The team has tried to negotiate and appeal to them to surrender for more than three hours but they had responded with explosions and shootings and so law enforcement actions had been taken to protect the people," he said.
From the house where the suspect had hidden the police discovered two revolvers and an FN pistol and also two pipe bombs one of them already being detonated.
The police also discovered 200 38mm caliber bullets, eight 9mm bullets and cash money worth Rp6 million. "The evidence was collected on the scene," he said.
(Uu.A014/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
