President Megawati Sukarnoputri is wrong to assume that the Indonesian people will approve of her emergency powers, analysts say.
Public protest, often risking the lives of demonstrators, has been strong before and since the downfall of former president Suharto whenever threats have appeared to civil liberties that have been gained at such a high price.
Although government figures say the Bali bombing can unite the people against what it calls terrorism, analysts and diplomats say taking on harsher powers would only further splinter a society riven by political conflict.
Some also warn that the talk of new action against terrorism may be window-dressing intended to please the outside world and a cover for the government to go after its own opponents.
A senior Western diplomat in Jakarta said: 'I think there will be a trend in that direction, and it is encouraged by the government's perception that it would be meeting the expectations and demands of foreign governments.'
Many Indonesians say a sense of security is lacking across the country, but defining the source of that vulnerability remains highly divisive.
Some people say that even though Suharto was bad in many ways, 'at least we felt safe then'.
