Press Statement of Indonesian Embassy
on the recent terrorist attacks in Jakarta on 17 July 2009
PR/01/07/09

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London strongly condemns the barbaric and callous terrorist attacks in Jakarta in the early morning of Friday 17 July 2009 which have caused severe injuries and the loss of lives of innocent people both Indonesians and some foreign nationals as well as damage to property.  The Embassy expresses its deepest sympathy with the victims of these barbaric acts and their families.

Indonesian Police has stated that at 7.45am local Jakarta time two separate bombs exploded at the JW Marriott Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta’s central commercial district. According to the initial Police report, the two bomb blasts have caused 50 casualties, including nine fatalities, six at JW Marriott Hotel, two at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and one died later at the Medistra Hospital in Central Jakarta. Among the casualties there are 14 foreign nationals, but so far there has been no confirmation that British or Irish nationals were among them; the majority of the casualties are Indonesian citizens.

In an immediate response the Indonesian Police has deployed 500 personnel from its special force, including from the specialist Densus 88 anti terrorist unit to lead the investigations into who is responsible for this atrocity and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible.

In a press conference in Jakarta at midday local time (17/07) President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned the incident as a despicable act of terror and stressed that the Indonesian authorities have the will, ability and capacity to deal effectively with the terrorist threat as it has done in the past.

The President noted that the atrocity was a deliberate criminal attempt to destabilise Indonesia following the recent successful parliamentary and presidential elections, which had strengthened democracy further in Indonesia, and to inflict damage to Indonesia’s economic, commercial and tourism interests.

For more information, please contact the Embassy’s Information Department at
Telephone: 0207499 7661 ext 9623, Fax: 0207491 4993, or email: h.sudradjat@indonesian-embassy.org.uk