Indonesia suicide bomber angered by criminal code

STORY: Authorities say a suspected Islamist militant killed one other person and wounded at least 10 in a suicide attack at a police station in the Indonesian city of Bandung on Wednesday (December 7).

And that the attacker was angered by the country’s controversial new criminal code.

The Indonesian National police chief said the attacker, identified as Agus Sujatno, had previously been jailed on terrorism charges.

He was also believed to be affiliated with a group that has ties to Islamic State, called Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, or JAD.

Investigators say they found dozens of documents protesting the new laws at the crime scene.

The measures include parts of Islamic religious law: sharia. But analysts say Islamist hardliners could have been angered by articles in the criminal code approved by the parliament on Tuesday (December 6) that could be used to crackdown on the propagation of extremist ideologies.

Part of the criminal code also outlaws sex outside of marriage and cohabitation.

Critics have called it a step backwards for the country.

Islamist militants have in recent years carried out attacks in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, including churches, police stations, and venues frequented by foreigners.

In an effort to crack down on militants, Indonesia created a tough new anti-terrorism law after suicide bombings linked to the JAD.