Indonesia Bombing---Mixed Feelings

The 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing occurred on 5 August 2003 in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, Indonesia. A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel, killing twelve people and injuring 150. All those killed were Indonesians with the exception of one Dutch businessman, one Danish, and two Chinese tourists. The hotel was viewed as a Western symbol, and had been used by the United States embassy for various events.

Another similar bombing, which is the 2004 Australian embassy bombing also took place on 9 September 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It also occured at Mega Kuningan.

A one-tonne car bomb, which was packed into a small Daihatsu delivery van, exploded outside the Australian embassy at Kuningan District, South Jakarta, at about 10:30 local time (03:30 UTC), killing 9 people including the suicide bomber, and wounding over 150 others.

Ritz and JW Marriot are just milestones away from ‘my dungeon’.I was shocked to hear my mum breaking this tragic and barbaric bombing news to me after school dismissal. Immediately, tears were flowing down my cheeks as I asked if everyone at home was safe as our home is also at Mega Kuningan which is about 300 m away from JW Marriot.

I was told by mum it is forever unsafe for us Chinese, to walk on the streets of Indonesia. At the entrance of every hotel or even the shopping centres, there are security guards carrying scanning gadgets to search our vehicles. So I simply don’t understand how the terrorists managed to smuggle in bombs to blast the highly secured twin hotels!

The suicide bombing of the Australian Embassy occurred during my September Holiday in 2004, just as I was in Jakarta, eating my brunch joyously. I remembered vividly that it was at 10.30am while I was having my brunch alone in the vast dining hall. I heard a thunderous blast nearby, followed by the shaking of window panels and I also could see the wobbling of the chandelier lights in the hall. Our house maids ran to me nervously to make sure that I wasn’t frightened from the blasts. Immediately ,mum called from office, asking me to stay put at where I was and watch CNN to get myself updated with the situation while she was held up in Notary office located at Mega Kuningan Barat. At the age of 8 at that time, I was extremely terrified and burst into tears. But now, I am already 13. I felt differently, so raged with anger. I simply despise this kind of barbaric acts as it is simply inhumane.

However, in 2009, there is a similar bombing at the twin hotels, JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton, which are both very prestigious hotels to live in. On 17/7/09, the two suicide bombers entered both of the hotels at the same time and the bombs went off almost simultaneously at 7.30 a.m. The two suicide bombers dressed as hotel guests and just walked into the hotels, but in the first place, how did they enter the hotel with a metal device, when there are scanners at the entrance of the hotels.

The blasts at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.International hotels, which by their nature must be open and accessible for visitors and guests, make attractive targets for terror attacks. Complete security is virtually impossible, despite security barriers, metal detectors and high-tech surveillance gear.Anyway, latest reports in Indonesian capital Jakarta say that the death toll in two bomb blasts at luxury hotels on Friday has gone up from nine to twelve, while the injured list is still pegged at 50.

Don't the attackers know that by doing so, it not only ruins the economy of poor Indonesia but also keeps foreigners who want to travel to Indonesia away? Does Indonsia forever have to be living in poverty and insecurity? I am fuming but sad by the ‘terrorists’ acts and the terrorists who tried to destroy my home, my dungeon!!!

I simply don’t understand why Jakarta is always the target for multiple terrorist attacks. On the other hand, it also explained why Indonesians find Singapore a safe haven to land in.

This is a video about the bombing of the JW Marriot and the Ritz Carlton. Please take a look: