Conflict mapping is needed, says sociologist<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Detailed conflict mapping, showing the areas
\nwith potential for conflict, is needed to help the government
\nprevent communal and sectarian clashes which endanger the
\nnation's unity and sovereignty, a sociologist has said.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University Sociologist Lambang
\nTrijono told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that actually it was
\ntoo late for the government to make such a map. \"But the mapping
\nis badly needed as this archipelagic country has abundant ethnic
\ngroups, each with its own culture.\"<\/p>\n
Lambang, who is a researcher at the Center of Security and
\nPeace Studies at Gadjah Mada University said that the government
\nhas been too sluggish in dealing with the Sampit clamor.<\/p>\n
At least 400 people, mostly Madurese migrants, were killed in
\nthe mayhem which started about two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
\"The (Sampit) riot took place because the government had yet
\nto resolve similar clashes in other areas properly. As soon as
\nSambas and Sanggau Ledo broke out the government should have
\ntaken proper steps, by among other things, proper law
\nenforcement,\" he said referring to the Dayak-Madurese communal
\nclashes in Central Kalimantan, which killed hundreds of people,
\nmostly Madurese, in early 1999.<\/p>\n
\"As soon as communal clashes erupted in Sambas and Sanggau
\nLedo, the government should have carried out conflict mapping to
\nprevent further clashes from happening in other parts of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
A series of communal and sectarian clashes in Indonesia was
\nthe reflection of the government's failure in establishing
\ntolerance and equality among citizens.<\/p>\n
In a pluralistic society such as Indonesia's an ability to
\nmanage prejudice among ethnic groups is very important. \"In the
\nlong run comprehensive cultural education is needed in order that
\ndifferences among ethnic groups do not turn to conflict.\"<\/p>\n
Sharing her opinion, a criminal law expert from the
\nPadjadjaran University in Bandung, Komariah Emong Sapardjaja,
\nsaid in a separate interview that the Sampit clamor
\nwas like an echo of the other unresolved deadly mayhem.<\/p>\n
\"Poor law enforcement and unfinished legal proceedings to deal
\nwith those guilty in other riots have encouraged people to engage
\nin similar chaotic action. People may have been given the
\nimpression that killing people will not be prosecuted.\"<\/p>\n
\"The law should have become the bastion to curb other
\nconflicts from occurring in Kalimantan and it should treat people
\nthe same regardless of their religion and race. Therefore, both
\nDayak and Madurese people should be equal in the eyes of the
\nlaw,\" Komariah said.<\/p>\n
She said that those committing crimes, including murder and
\narson, should be prosecuted soon.<\/p>\n
Komariah said that legal proceedings must be followed by
\nsocial, mass psychological and economic educational approaches,
\nas the clashes have had a complex background.<\/p>\n
Education<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an expert in education Suyanto, said that it would
\ntake time for the child refugees involved to eliminate their
\nfeelings of trauma.<\/p>\n
\"The child refugees may have serious psychological problems
\nafter seeing murders and other kind of violence. They need time
\nto wipe out the horror,\" the rector of the State University of
\nYogyakarta said.<\/p>\n
He assumed that the Sampit genocide was more brutal than the
\nJewish ethnic cleansing carried out by the Nazis in the
\nHolocaust.<\/p>\n
\"The refugee children do need proper education. Don't take
\nthis problem for granted. Emergency classrooms must be built.
\nElementary school students from the first, second and third
\ngrades could join in one class, while those of the fourth, fifth
\nand sixth grades could join together in another class in an
\nemergency situation.\"<\/p>\n
From an economic point of view the recent Central Kalimantan
\nviolence would not cause significant losses to the national
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
Economist Arief Ramlan Karseno of Gadjah Mada University said
\non Saturday that the country's economy now mostly depended on
\nexports, \"but the clash does have an impact on foreign
\ninvestment.\"<\/p>\n
\"It has almost no impact currently on foreign investors
\nbecause they had been reluctant to come into Indonesia for
\nseveral years before the conflict in Sampit erupted. But, of
\ncourse, the ethnic clash in Sampit will force the government to
\nwork harder to woo foreign investors,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Karseno said that the negative impact of the riot had affected
\npolitics more than the country's economic scene.<\/p>\n
\"The riot inevitably gives President Abdurrahman Wahid's
\ngovernment another negative image, but I doubt that it will cause
\ntoo much damage to the country's economy, which is currently
\nbased on income from international trade,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Last year, he added, the national economy was based mostly on
\nthe rising value of exports compared with a relative decline in
\nforeign imports since the economic crisis hit the country few
\nyears ago.<\/p>\n
Karseno said that the current government had managed to boost
\nthe country's international trade as showed in last year's export
\nfigures and the 10 percent increase in the value of exports in
\nJanuary this year.<\/p>\n
Locally, he said, the ethnic clash could cause economic loss
\nto the Central Kalimantan administration as many public assets
\nhad been destroyed.<\/p>\n
\"If the mobs destroyed a market, the administration must build
\na new market to make local economy revive. Economically, the area
\nmost affected by the Sampit riot is Sampit regency,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Karseno said that the riot would temporarily disturb export
\nactivities from the riot-torn areas but trade would regain as
\nsoon as the riot was properly dealt with. He said that Central
\nKalimantan province mainly exported raw material such as wood,
\nand other natural resources.<\/p>\n
Karseno said there was no other choice for the government but
\nto stop the violence.<\/p>\n
\"The sooner the violence is curbed the better for the
\ncountry,\" he said. (23\/44\/25)<\/p>",
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