Indonesian admits to being behind Myanmar embassy bomb plot
An Indonesian on trial for a foiled plot to bomb Myanmar's embassy in Jakarta has confessed to being the mastermind, and said he was "still at war" with anyone oppressing Muslims.
Sigit Indrajid, 23, testified that he led a group that networked over Facebook in a plan to attack Myanmar's mission in the Indonesian capital in May.
The group wanted to avenge the harsh treatment of Muslim-minority Rohingya in Myanmar, an issue that has resonated widely in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.
"It was my initiative," he told the South Jakarta district court.
Asked by a judge if he regretted his actions, Indrajid responded in a raised voice: "No. This was a warning to Myanmar as well as others who treat Muslims as they please. I am still at war - as long as there is oppression of Muslims." Indrajid faces three charges under tough anti-terror laws, including possession of weapons or explosive materials, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
He said he became incensed after reading reports on Facebook about the violence against Rohingya in the Buddhist-majority country.
He got the idea to attack the embassy after being invited by a local Muslim group to take part in a protest against the violence in Myanmar. He said he met an accomplice, Separiano, who goes by one name and has also been charged by the same court over the plot.
"I said to him, 'Let's just bomb [the embassy]. And he agreed'," Indrajid told the court.
The attack was foiled on May 2, the day before it was due to take place, when police arrested two men on a motorbike carrying a backpack full of pipe bombs.
