17th October 17, 2002

Now We The People statement on the Bali Bombings

The bomb blast in Bali on the 12th of October 2002, killed more than 180 people from Bali, Australia and around the world, and all people should condemn it unreservedly.

We extend our deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. The bombing is a tragic crime, its perpetrators must be found and punished, and an end to this violence must be found.
Much of the debate since October 12 has centered on possible links of the bomb attack to the al Qaeda network. John Howard and George Bush have announced that they believe this is the work of the al-Qaeda network.

John Howard has specifically labeled the Jemaah Islamiah group, a militant Islamic group in Indonesia, as the prime suspect. Howard is currently making requests to the United Nations to have the Jemaah Islamiah group listed as a terrorist organisation.

So far, no one has admitted responsibility for the attack and there is no clear evidence to link al- Qaeda groups to the attack. While al-Qaeda must be considered high on the suspect list, there are other strong possibilities.

The terrible violence that has occurred in Bali must be considered in the context of a history of military violence in Indonesia. Ever since 1965 under General Suharto, the people of Indonesia, Aceh, West Papua and East Timor have suffered extensive political violence at the hands of the Indonesian military or its militia proxies.

While the Suharto regime has ended, pro Suharto forces continue to dominate the Indonesian military, which still control Indonesia. There are reports that C4 plastic explosives were used in the Bali explosion, which are only available from the military and the mining industry.

Jemaah Islamiah and Laskar Jihad have operated openly in Indonesia with the support of the military and some prominent politicians.

In light of this situation, and until more evidence comes to surface, it must be asked if the tragedy of the Bali bombings can be linked to the Indonesian military, even if this may require the dumping of Australia's entire Indonesian policy since 1965.
The Howard government and the Bush Administrations push to label this the work of al- Qaeda is very dangerous and will have great consequences.

The time following this tragic event should allow for grief and reflection. Instead, it seems Bush and Howard are keen to capitalize on it and clamp down further on civil liberties with new security measures and laws, as well as stepping up the drive for military invasion as part of their 'war on terror'.

Peter Murphy

Michele Freeman

Now We The People Coordinators