Keep violence at bay<\/p>\n
Although the deepening of the feeling of popular
\ndissatisfaction that has come in the wake of Monday's fuel price
\nhike was more or less expected, a word of concern is appropriate
\nat this point regarding the turn which developments appear to be
\ntaking. It seems that, not satisfied with airing their discontent
\nwithin the limited confines of their own campuses, student
\nprotesters have in the past week been attempting to break out to
\ntake their grievances on to the streets for a wider audience to
\nhear. Quite possibly, too, more than a few student protest
\nleaders now feel that the time has come to broaden the base of
\ntheir movement by involving the public at large.<\/p>\n
Such an attitude is easy enough to understand. Indeed, seen
\nfrom the students' point of view it would be the obvious next
\nstep to take as a broadened base would clearly add force to their
\nvoice of dissent and give it a greater chance to be heard. Yet,
\nthe risks that such a move invite are just as obvious. Military
\ncommanders have repeatedly stated their concern that attempts by
\nthe students to take their protests to the street could easily
\nopen the door for less scrupulous and less principled individuals
\nor groups to manipulate the students' movement for their own
\nends. As a result the well-intentioned students' actions could
\neasily get out of hand, which could lead to chaos and anarchy.<\/p>\n
Student leaders are well advised to take such warnings
\nseriously. A few incidents that have taken place in several
\nplaces in the past few days reveal how easy it would be for
\nunruly -- or worse, hostile antireformist -- elements to subvert
\nthe students' protest movement and throw it out of control. In
\nthe past couple of days, for example, the North Sumatran city of
\nMedan has been rocked by violence as mobs not only battled police
\nbut looted stores and burned cars. Scores of police officers and
\nprotesters were reported injured in the incidents.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta 14 students were reported injured yesterday alone
\nin violent clashes with police, who lobbed tear gas canisters and
\nrubber bullets into the rock-throwing crowds of protesters.
\nViolent clashes occurred earlier in Bandarlampung, Surabaya,
\nYogyakarta as well as Jakarta and other hotbeds of student
\nunrest. But while noncampus elements have so far been rarely
\ninvolved, the danger of this happening as the protests begin to
\nspill out into communities is far from imaginary.<\/p>\n
The best advice that can be given at this point is for all the
\nparties involved to exercise wisdom and restraint. Given the
\npent-up passions that are involved and the growing hardships
\nwhich the majority of Indonesians will have to suffer, it may be
\ndifficult to contain the student's actions to their campuses.
\nEvery effort, however, must be made to ensure that the proreform
\nmovement remains peaceful and that it is not subverted. To do
\nthis, student leaders must be aware of the dangers that any
\nbroadening of their movement into the community at large may
\ninvolve.<\/p>\n
Student leaders and campus authorities can do much to keep the
\nstudent protest movement orderly and free from subversion.
\nCommunity leaders, legislators, security authorities and
\neverybody else with a genuine concern for this nation's future
\ncan do their part to calm the situation. Through the authority of
\ntheir positions and the respect which they command in society
\nthey can help pave the way toward a better, more democratic
\nIndonesia by keeping the present reform movement on its
\nappropriate, non-violent course. Great and lofty ideals are not
\nrealized by force or violence.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/keep-violence-at-bay-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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