Statement of President Joko Widodo on the Terrorism Acts Perpetrated at the Surabaya Police Headquarters, delivered in Kemayoran, on 14 May 2018

Unofficial English Translation

Following the incidents perpetrated at three locations in Surabaya yesterday, one more incident was perpetrated last night in Sidoarjo, and just this morning, another suicide bombing was perpetrated, again in Surabaya.

They are cowardly, undignified, and barbaric acts.

And I need to reaffirm, once again, that we will fight terrorism and we will eradicate and uproot terrorism. I have instructed the Indonesian National Police, and I have given my directives to the Chief of the Indonesian National Police, to be resolute, and uncompromising in undertaking measures to bring to an end these terrorist acts.

Secondly, I have also urged the House of Representatives (DPR) and the related Ministries to immediately finalize the amendment of the Law on Terrorism within the forthcoming session of the House on 18 May 2018. We have submitted the amendments to the law in February 2016, which means it has already been two years.

This law constitutes a legal umbrella that will enable the governmental apparatus, and the Indonesian National Police, to take decisive actions to prevent and combat terrorism. In the event that by June, at the end of the session of the House, the amendment of the Law has not been finalized, I shall issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu).

I would now like to conclude my statement. I thank you. (PR, Cabinet Secretariat)(STU/AW/YM/Naster)