Forwarded From: Synthe Omicron <syntheat_private> Cyber 'Vandals' Target Indonesia by James Glave 10:15am 18.Aug.98.PDT In an effort to raise awareness of alleged human rights violations against ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, Internet vandals have begun scrawling protest messages across that country's Web sites -- and sending mailbombs to Indonesians. "This page is hacked for your national day," read one example Monday. "Please keep this page for 48 hours and punish the murderers in May immediately." The text was signed "Discoverer." At least two Web sites in Indonesia's .id country domain were altered as of Monday. Messages in broken English and Chinese accused the Indonesian government of failing to react to the alleged torture, rape, and murder of Indonesian Chinese during race riots in that country last May. "Did you see the disorder in May? And do you want to see another disorder in your Internet? We come here JUST to make our protest against your violence. I don't want to make any data-losing in your NET," read a message at www.bkkbn.go.id titled "Warning From Chinese." The message warned site administrators to leave the defaced page, containing links to stories on the Indonesian race riots, live for 48 hours, apparently to reflect the amount of time the rioting lasted. Another site, which was defaced on 12 August, was signed by "Chinese Hacker" and apparently sought to "warn-n-punish all cruel-n-uncultivated Indonisian [sic]." The attacks on Indonesian computer systems are only the latest in a string of politically motivated actions that have gone on since 1995, said the director of the country's leading computer-security investigative body. "Vandals from Taiwan, China are doing low-tech attacks (such as mailbomb)," said Budi Rahardjo of the Indonesia Computer Emergency Response Team in an email to Wired News. "They are mad with Indonesia's policy and blamed Indonesians for the riot in [May] (which was targeted against Chinese-decendants)." Rahardjo said the mailbombs were numerous and large -- over 100 Kb. They were sent to "any Indonesians [the attackers] can find." He said he has received some of the mailbombs because his address is listed as a contact for the Indonesian Network Information Center and various Indonesian web sites. Rahardjo said that the latest attacks appeared to originate from Taiwan and China, and that the Indonesian government was concerned and conducting an investigation. However, Rahardjo predicted the vandalism would have little impact and questioned the hackers' tactics. "Why don't they create their own Web sites?" "Most of the attacks (attackers) are known," said Rahardjo. The origin of mailbombs are also known, he added. A representative for the Indonesian embassy in Washington, DC, was not available for comment. Another Indonesian computer security source was similarly disappointed with the sites. "I don't know if you can consider it as a protest," said Bobby Nahzief, of the University of Indonesia's Computer Science Center. "It's more of 'yet-another-violation' to me. One of the sites they attacked was a research and development Web site, which has little to do with human rights violations." Previous Internet attacks, including those launched by the Portuguese hacking group KaotiK, have targeted Indonesia's policy in East Timor. Then there are others, associated with domestic Indonesians apparently unhappy with their government's policies, said Rahardjo. He added that political computer attacks against Indonesia have been going on since 1995. Jack Hong, director of business development for Sinanet, a California-based Web portal for Chinese speakers, said that he was aware of the Web vandalism, but that his organization "does not condone hacking as a conduit of protest." Hong said that Sinanet has supported an online petition known as the Yellow Ribbon campaign, that has so far gathered over 43,000 electronic signatures designed to raise awareness of the Chinese-Indonesian atrocities. The president of the Indonesian Chinese American Network, a Web site dedicated to raising awareness of the alleged human rights violations in Indonesia, said that education and dialog, not direct action, was the best course. "We want everyone to become the leader of influence and encouragement," said Jon Oei. "A lot of the Chinese are afraid to talk. We should encourage them to talk and influence others, but not by hacking Web pages." Hong said that one hacked protest Web page, at www.vsi.dpe.go.id, was limited in its effectiveness because the pages required that visiting browsers support GB-2312, a technology for rendering Chinese characters. Hong said that the page was partly an historical account of racial inequities related to Chinese, and partly a call-to arms for Chinese hackers to fight back. -o- Subscribe: mail majordomoat_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: New Dimensions International [www.newdimensions.net]
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