State Authority Tested

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Even as the case of the acid attack on Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan remains unresolved, more terrorism against the KPK has occurred.

Apparent bombs were found at the homes of KPK leaders, namely chair Agus Rahardjo and deputy chair Laode Syarif, in the early hours of Wednesday (9/1/2018). National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said that the devices’ cables were unconnected and they had no detonators. “So, they are fake bombs,” he said, as reported by this daily on Thursday (10/1).

The report sent shockwaves through the nation and reminded the public of the acid attack against Novel Baswedan, the perpetrator of which remains unknown. The acid attack on Novel took place on April 11, 2017. For more than 20 months, there has been no end in sight in the investigation. The public demand for the government to form a joint fact-finding team remains nothing but empty discourse. There has never been any explanation, other than that the investigation is ongoing, on why the acid attack case remains unresolved.

KPK Employees Association chair Yudi Purnomo Harahap said that there had been nine terrorist attacks against KPK employees since 2011, all of which are still unsolved. The latest attacks on the two KPK leaders are huge threats in the form of psychological warfare against the country’s anticorruption agenda. It raises a big question that all terrorist attacks against corruption eradicators remain unresolved.

Presidential spokesperson Johan Budi SP gave a normative response, saying that the police were investigating the attacks. In a democratic country, there can be no intimidation against law enforcers.

The attacks on the KPK leaders took place just eight days before the first presidential debate on Jan. 17, 2018. Themes for the debate include human rights, corruption, law and terrorism. Terrorist attacks on either the KPK or its leaders can be included among the debate’s talking points, specifically on the incumbent’s support for corruption eradicators targeted in the attacks.

Terrorism against the KPK leaders serves as a test for state authority. With the National Police’s human resources and available tools, the public hopes that it can soon find the attackers, similar to when the force quickly revealed that the Ratna Sarumpaet attack was nothing but a hoax. If the police move slowly in investigating huge cases at the center of public attention, wild speculations may emerge.

These unrevealed attackers may play two roles: spreading fear and delegitimizing authority. Right to safety is a human right that the state must provide to all of its citizens. Therefore, there is no other way out for the National Police but for them to

reveal who the attackers were and what their motives were. Only through hard work and strong will, as well as President Joko Widodo’s full support, can we believe that the National Police can investigate the terrorist attacks on the KPK thoroughly. Otherwise, public trust may wane.

Editor:

kpk editorial state authority tested