House Speaker warns of widening disparities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The widening economic and political disparities
\nin Indonesian society may well trigger more mass violence, House
\nSpeaker Wahono warned yesterday.<\/p>\n
If not properly resolved, the disparities will affect the
\nhard-worked-for national resilience, he noted when opening the
\nnew House session.<\/p>\n
\"The violence that rocked several areas at the end of 1996
\nshows that our society's sociocultural resilience is weak. People
\nwere easily incited by irresponsible parties,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Major unrest shook Jakarta in July, the East Java town of
\nSitubondo in October, West Java's Tasikmalaya on Dec. 26 and West
\nKalimantan's Sanggau Ledo on Dec. 29.<\/p>\n
In Java, the rioters targeted government buildings, property
\nbelonging to Chinese Indonesians and churches. In West
\nKalimantan, the conflict pitted Madura transmigrants against the
\nindigenous Dayaks.<\/p>\n
Not only did the incidents inflict substantial material and
\nhuman loses, they also left people wondering what was happening
\nto Indonesians, who usually take pride in being tolerant and
\nfriendly.<\/p>\n
Wahono called on the government and the public alike to seek
\nthe root of the problems.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps these (violent incidents) were a manifestation of
\npeople's frustration. People couldn't control their emotions on
\nseeing that their leaders' conduct fell short of their
\nexpectations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wahono lamented that people have used social and religious
\nsentiments to vent their frustration without regard for law and
\norder.<\/p>\n
The Dec. 26 riot in Tasikmalaya was triggered by the police's
\nbrutal handling of teachers of an Islamic boarding school who had
\npunished the son of police officer.<\/p>\n
In the riot that ensued, shops, factories and churches were
\nburned and four people were killed, according to official
\nstatistics.<\/p>\n
The religious violence in Situbondo was triggered by public
\ndissatisfaction with the sentence demanded by a local court for a
\nMoslem charged with blaspheming Islam.<\/p>\n
The well-documented July 1996 riot in Jakarta was triggered by
\nthe takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) office by a
\ngovernment-backed rebel faction.<\/p>\n
Wahono, a former lieutenant general, said that the authorities
\nshould prioritize preventive measures in handling social problems
\nso as not to unduly anger people.<\/p>\n
\"The repressive approach should be used only as a last
\nresort,\" he said. \"Besides, the authorities and the public should
\nuse their common sense and not take the law into their own
\nhands.\"<\/p>\n
Wahono also said he supported the view that many Indonesians'
\nmorality is declining and that the multiethnic and multifaith
\nnation has to refocus its efforts to maintain unity.<\/p>\n
The alarm on the declining morality was sounded last week by
\nleaders of the two largest Moslem organizations, Muhammadiyah and
\nNahdlatul Ulama.<\/p>\n
Wahono stressed that government officials should provide
\nexamples with real actions rather than statements on how to
\npreserve national unity.<\/p>\n
He praised the government for initiating the National
\nDiscipline Drive and its call for clean governance, hoping that
\nthe campaigns are implemented continuously.<\/p>\n
On the May 29 general election Wahono called on the public to
\ngive their ideas to the National Election Committee and the three
\ncontestants, Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and PDI.<\/p>\n
Specifically, he called on the public to give input on the
\nHouse of Representatives candidates proposed by the contestants.<\/p>\n
The election committee is expected to announce the names of
\nthe candidates some time this month.<\/p>\n
The public is expected to give input on the integrity of all
\nthe candidates, Wahono said.<\/p>\n
\"All the input should be based on credible sources so that no
\none slanders a candidate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar, PPP and PDI will contest 425 seats in the 500-seat
\nHouse. The remaining 75 seats are reserved by the Armed Forces,
\nwhich plays a dominant role in politics but does not take part in
\nthe election. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-speaker-warns-of-widening-disparities-1447893297",
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