Jakarta, city of fear?<\/p>\n
In the heat of our present push toward greater democracy and
\nequal rights for all, there seems to be one element essential to
\nthe building of such an ideal society that has been forgotten:
\nthe freedom from fear. Even in as early as 1605, the English
\nphilosopher and statesman Sir Francis Bacon wrote that \"man
\nseeketh in society comfort, use and protection.\"<\/p>\n
Without public order and security -- or, to borrow Bacon's
\nwords, without adequate protection -- it is impossible to ensure
\nthat all the different segments of our society will function as
\nthey should, but the events of the last few weeks have shown that
\nIndonesian citizens do not enjoy adequate protection. Living
\nunder these conditions will make it difficult for us to work to
\nlift the nation out of its present predicament.<\/p>\n
Let us for the moment forget about the kidnapping of political
\nactivists, the \"ninja\" killings in East Java, the recent Black
\nFriday shootings and the Ketapang riots. Large-scale acts of
\nterror and violence that appear to have been organized and
\npolitically-motivated are not required to illustrate the point.
\nWhat we are talking about here is the mounting incidence of
\nviolent and threatening crimes committed against ordinary,
\nunsuspecting citizens. Although rural areas have not escaped the
\nproblem, the worst effects of this wave of crime have been felt
\nin Jakarta and other urban centers around the country.<\/p>\n
Armed holdups and robberies of motorists and passengers
\ntraveling on Jakarta's urban toll roads after nightfall --
\nparticularly on the route to Soekarno-Hatta Airport at Cengkareng
\n-- have increased in recent weeks. The same roads commonly become
\nthe domain of bands of crudely armed robbers during days of heavy
\nrioting in the city.<\/p>\n
Perhaps encouraged by the freedom of movement they have
\nenjoyed on such occasions, these criminal rabbles seem to be
\ngetting bolder and moving closer to the city center. A robbery
\nrecently took place in front of the Pondok Indah shopping mall in
\nSouth Jakarta at 10 p.m., in full sight of other road users and
\nbystanders, none of whom saw fit to help the victim. On a number
\nof occasions, wedding receptions have been rudely disrupted by
\nunruly bands of young men demanding money and other valuables
\nfrom the guests.<\/p>\n
An important question that must be answered is why violent
\ncrime is spreading to such an extent in our once peaceful
\ncountry. It has been suggested that with an end to the economic
\ncrisis still nowhere in sight, those whom it has driven into
\npoverty are becoming desperate and resorting to criminal ways.<\/p>\n
However, an alternative explanation is that for many years,
\nand especially since the downfall of former president Soeharto's
\nNew Order regime in May, Indonesians have seen violence used as a
\nmeans to settle conflict. It must be said that few groups in our
\nsociety can absolve themselves of blame for this unsavory
\npractice, but as far as the public is concerned, it is state
\nsecurity officials who have been most visibly guilty.<\/p>\n
Again, one does not have to look for dramatic political
\nexamples to illustrate this point. Frequent forcible evictions of
\nthose deemed to be the unlawful residents of slum neighborhoods
\nand traders operating without license provide graphic examples of
\nheavy-handed settlement of disputes. If order and security are to
\nbe upheld and our society to function as intended, violence and
\nthe use of force to achieve our aims and objectives must be
\nresisted. That applies to all of us, but it would do a great deal
\nof good if those in power were to set us a good example.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jakarta-city-of-fear-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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