Banjarmasin residents clean up, bury their dead<\/p>\n
By Johannes Simbolon<\/p>\n
BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan (JP): A procession of hospital
\nmorgue cars entered the Karang Peci cemetery, some 30 kilometers
\noutside of Banjarmasin, and halted near a huge grave.<\/p>\n
One by one, the unrecognized bodies of 120 people burned alive
\nduring the May 23 riots, were laid to rest in the 20 x 3 meter
\nplot. An official from the Banjarmasin office for religious
\naffairs said a prayer in the simple ceremony that took place last
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Groups of people, who claimed to have lost relatives during
\nthe riot, huddled together near the grave.<\/p>\n
Among them was 58-year-old Sami'an. He lost his 16-year-old
\nson Jaiz. Jaiz was a member of his high school's marching band
\nwhich was scheduled to entertain during Golkar's campaign on that
\nfateful day.<\/p>\n
\"I searched for him in vain at hospitals and police stations.
\nI don't know if he has died or is still alive. If he is among the
\ncorpses, I want him to know that his father is attending his
\nfuneral,\" Sami'an said, tears streaming down his face.<\/p>\n
A sad conclusion to the struggle for political power in this
\nbeautiful town. The excitement and festivity during the month-
\nlong campaign, which started on April 27, ended in tears and
\npain.<\/p>\n
The riot, considered to be the worst political violence in the
\nNew Order era, erupted during the last round of Golkar's
\ncampaign. It started with a clash between its supporters and
\nthose of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Thousands of people wearing PPP's green attributes burned cars
\nand hundreds of buildings, including churches, cinemas, shopping
\ncenters, hotels, and houses.<\/p>\n
Carrying sharp weapons like sickles, machetes and mandau
\n(Kalimantan's traditional swords), they hunted for everyone in
\nGolkar's yellow uniforms and stripped them.<\/p>\n
The security personnel were only able to contain the unrest
\naround midnight after reinforcements arrived from Jakarta. One
\nhundred and twenty-three charred bodies were found inside the
\nburned Mitra Plaza shopping center. Only three bodies were
\nrecognizable and claimed by their families. Most of the dead were
\nlooters, police said.<\/p>\n
Loss<\/p>\n
A week after the riot, Banjarmasin, dubbed \"the town of one
\nthousand rivers\" because it is crisscrossed by many tributaries,
\nhad yet to recover from the shock.<\/p>\n
Curfew had been lifted but people were still afraid to venture
\nout of their homes at night. Police and troops were posted, while
\nmen took turns to guard their own houses at night.<\/p>\n
\"People have become so traumatized that even a small fire can
\ncause panic,\" said Aswady Syukur, head of the South Kalimantan
\nchapter of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas.<\/p>\n
Tanjungpura military commander Maj. Gen. Namuri Anoem S. said
\nthat shock and fear was mostly felt by women.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of women campaigning for Golkar rushed home half
\nnaked after they were forced to take off their yellow Golkar
\nuniforms by a mob carrying sickles and swords in the riot.<\/p>\n
Modern amenities were also damaged.<\/p>\n
\"Before the riot, life was good enough here. We had the '21'
\ncinema, Hero supermarket and the Mitra Plaza shopping center.
\nThey are all gone now,\" said a Bank Indonesia employee.<\/p>\n
\"Now the only entertainment for families is television,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Aswady estimated the town had suffered hundreds of millions of
\nrupiah in property losses from the riot and that it would take
\nyears to restore the town to its former condition.<\/p>\n
The riot left about 4,000 people jobless. Local authorities
\nhave repeatedly called on the owners of the tens of shops burned
\nduring the riot not to sack their employees. But by last week,
\nonly one to two shop proprietors had promised to abide by the
\ncall.<\/p>\n
An official said racism might increase after the riot because
\nthe public thought most of the rioters were Madurese.<\/p>\n
\"Now, people refrain from riding on becak (three-wheeled
\nbicycle taxi) since most of the drivers are Madurese,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lesson<\/p>\n
No party has been held responsible for the riot.<\/p>\n
The local papers said Golkar enraged PPP supporters by
\ncampaigning before Friday's prayers and roaming noisily near a
\nmosque during the prayers. But Golkar denied the report.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar's members and supporters were well organized. All of
\nthem followed my instruction to campaign after Friday's prayers,\"
\nsaid Soenarso of the local Golkar chapter.<\/p>\n
Syafriansyah, the head of the South Kalimantan's PPP office,
\nsaid none of the party's members were among the rioters. He cited
\na government regulation which said that the party campaigning on
\na particular day was responsible for security on that day.<\/p>\n
Observers said the riot was triggered by escalating
\ncampaigning competition, but its real cause was discontentment
\nover social, political and economic injustice.<\/p>\n
Although several churches were burned and pelted with stones
\nduring the riot, Christians believe they were not the main
\ntarget.<\/p>\n
\"Their prime targets were government buildings. Only about 30
\npeople were involved in burning our church,\" said S.M. Sihombing,
\na minister's assistant at a Batak church burned down in the riot.<\/p>\n
The rioters set fire to Golkar's office around 2 p.m. They
\nwere about to set fire to the next door building belonging to
\nstate electricity company PLN, but changed their minds. Someone
\nshouted, \"Don't burn it. There is a soccer broadcast on TV
\ntonight,\" recalled Unting, a local reporter who had watched the
\nmob.<\/p>\n
Banjarmasin people are famous soccer fanatics.<\/p>\n
After that, the mob reportedly moved to attack the governor's
\nresidence but were prevented by security personnel. Instead, they
\nransacked the adjacent building belonging to the Ministry of
\nSocial Services.<\/p>\n
Wahyu, the head of the Center for Sociocultural Research at
\nBanjarmasin Lambung Mangkurat University, said the mob, mostly
\npoor people, had ransacked and burned shopping centers because
\nthey belonged to rich Chinese people and burned churches because
\nthey were associated with Chinese.<\/p>\n
Aswady said the violence could not be attributed to street
\nrallies because in earlier campaigning, no riots had happened
\ndespite the street rallies.<\/p>\n
\"What happened is that people are now more aware. They see
\ncorruption, collusion. They see people become billionaires by
\ndoing nothing, while those who work 24 hours (a day) remain
\npoor,\" said Aswady.<\/p>",
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