Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Sunday's bombing in the Indonesian capital may be the work of criminal gangs and not rogue elements of the military who have been blamed for previous bombings, say police and analysts.
Jakarta police, who have interviewed scores of witnesses, have still not been able to identify the group responsible for the bombing, the first attack since a grenade went off on New Year's Eve.
The bomb, which exploded in the parking lot of the Eksotik disco in the Chinatown district of Central Jakarta, injured five people, two of them seriously.
Another bomb was found and defused near the 1001 discotheque in West Jakarta. The third was found in the parking lot of the city centre's Sarinah department store complex, which also houses nightspots.
Only one suspect has been detained – a parking attendant who spotted a plastic bag containing a bomb under a car in the carpark of the Eksotik Discotheque and took it to a nearby food stall where it later exploded.
Police investigators and other analysts believe the bombing was motivated by economic reasons and involved organised criminal groups operating in the Chinatown area.
The low-explosive bombs with simple detonators used on Sunday were assembled crudely and put inside petrol containers. Said a police source: "In the past, the bombs were targeted at churches and commercial or business areas. This is the first time entertainment spots are targeted."
A Muslim militant group led by suspect terrorist Hambali has been blamed for the bombings of churches and a shopping centre last year, although the actual perpetrators have never been revealed.
University of Indonesia criminologist Ronny Nitibaskara said: "Seeing the targeted areas, money could be the motive for the bombings, especially because these areas are the locations of numerous illegal gambling spots."
Even human rights activists who are normally quick to accuse the military of involvement in violence are finding it hard to pinpoint the army as the usual suspect in the latest terror acts, which they said were notably different from previous blasts in the capital.
Human rights activist Munir said rivalries between professional crime groups linked to certain gambling operators could be behind the blasts.
A source who has had past dealings with gambling operators said it was possible that some security personnel were involved in the bombings. The motives could be both economic and political.
"These gambling operators are naturally backed by elements in the military or police force who receive money in exchange for security," he said.
"The bombers might be trying to convey a message to the nightclub operators with the blasts – perhaps more protection money – while at the same time showing to the public that the current government has failed to maintain security in Jakarta."