Investigation into time gaps during the Situbondo riots<\/p>\n
By Ainur R. Sophiaan<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): Only days after the Oct. 10 attacks on East
\nJava churches occurred, the National Commission on Human Rights
\nsent an investigation team to the site of the violence.<\/p>\n
H.A.A. Baramuli, Asmara Nababan and Clementino Dos Reis Amaral
\nmet with East Java Governor Basofi Soedirman, the Jember regent
\nand government officials to discuss the riot in Situbondo.<\/p>\n
Investigations so far indicate the riots were sparked by
\nSitubondo Moslems' anger over the jail term requested by the
\nprosecution for a Moslem sect member on trial for blasphemy
\nagainst Islam.<\/p>\n
The mob, considering the requested punishment too lenient,
\nburned down the court building and set fire to a nearby church
\nafter someone shouted that the defendant, Saleh, was hiding
\nthere. The mob reportedly burned and damaged 12 churches and 12
\nworship houses, five elementary schools, one Christian orphanage,
\ntwo plazas, three cars and five motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Five people died inside one of the churches. The frenzy
\nreportedly lasted five hours before troops intervened to contain
\nthe mob.<\/p>\n
Soetandyo Wignyosoebroto, was unable to go join the team in
\nSitubondo due to ill health but has been monitoring the progress
\nof the investigation. In an interview with The Jakarta Post, the
\nprofessor of sociology at Airlangga University identified a
\nnumber of factors that may have led to the riots and to the
\nviolations of human rights in the small, normally quiet town.<\/p>\n
JP: What is the Commission's preliminary conclusion of the
\nriots?<\/p>\n
Soetandyo: The riots broke out because of people's
\ndissatisfaction with the sentence demanded for Saleh. They
\ndeemed it too lenient. From a legal point of view, the demand for
\nfive years imprisonment is actually a maximum punishment. The
\nmass, however, were referring to a religious edict that states
\nblasphemy is punishable with death.<\/p>\n
So, there is a legal gap here. The prosecutors did not
\nunderstand the point of view of the mass, most of whom were from
\nthe pesantren (Islamic boarding school), and the people did not
\nunderstand the prosecution's stand point.<\/p>\n
This is where the misunderstanding started. Upon hearing the
\ndemanded sentence was five years, the mass became restless. There
\nis something to take note of, however, and that is the fact that
\nthere is a one hour lapse between the reading out of the sentence
\nand when the mob began to rampage.<\/p>\n
We are currently investigating the events of that hour. Pak
\nBaramuli believes the riot began spontaneously. But there are of
\nus who think that something happened during that one hour
\ninterval which incited the mob.<\/p>\n
Question: Please explain more about the destruction itself.<\/p>\n
Answer: First, they attacked the courthouse. Then a number of
\nnew shops. Several stages passed before the mob turned to the
\nchurches. This is why there are people who believe that the riot
\nwas not caused by religious tension.<\/p>\n
We are now waiting for intelligence to report on whether
\nduring that one hour, anything happened to drive the mob, who had
\nalready attacked the courthouse and shops, to target the
\nchurches?<\/p>\n
There's no way we can answer these questions. We can only
\ninterpret from the facts.<\/p>\n
Q: What will the commission do next?<\/p>\n
A: We're not going to offer a solution, because we're not
\nauthorized for that. We are only monitoring whether there were
\nrights violations. Of course there had been, as people were burnt
\nto death, the worship houses destroyed, and there are people who
\nare now afraid to practice their religion.<\/p>\n
We can, however, suggest the need for some measures to be
\ntaken so that similar violations of rights will never be
\nrepeated. Or if it does happen again, it won't be as bad.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 5, the commission will hold a plenary meeting. We will
\nannounce our findings at the meeting.<\/p>\n
Q: What about the reported circulation of leaflets before the
\nincident inviting people from out of Situbondo to come and gather
\nat the trial?<\/p>\n
A: That is for intelligence to explain. The commission could
\nnot go that far. It would only invite criticism that the
\ncommission had conducted political and security analyses. We'll
\nbe only interpreting facts, not other people's conclusions about
\nwhat happened.<\/p>\n
Q: So, was the attack a purely criminal act or was it a
\nmanifestation of religious hatred?<\/p>\n
A: If we study how the riots first erupted and how the mob
\nattacked only the courthouse and government offices, we could see
\nthat it's a matter of misunderstanding. A conceptual gap, if not
\na legal gap.<\/p>\n
I personally received information that there were people who
\nwanted to see Saleh punished with death.<\/p>\n
Q: From a sociological point of view, what was really behind
\nthe riot?<\/p>\n
A: It's the problem of an angry mob. It's like the riots in
\nJakarta on July 27 or when soccer fans vandalized cars and
\nbuildings. The security personnel might not understand mob
\npsychology. Or may be they did, but let the people attending the
\nhearing form a mob.<\/p>\n
Q: Was the riot instigated?<\/p>\n
A: Once again, only intelligence can answer that.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/investigation-into-time-gaps-during-the-situbondo-riots-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }