Moral decadence sparked riots: Catholic leader<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Catholic leader Mgr. Julius Cardinal
\nDarmoatmodjo deplored the recent riots which have rocked the
\ncountry and said an overwhelming moral decadence was behind the
\nspate of violence.<\/p>\n
Julius, chairman of the Bishops Council of Indonesia, said
\nSaturday that morality no longer seemed to play a pivotal role in
\nthe life of many people.<\/p>\n
He pointed at the increasing tendency among some people in
\nsociety to disobey the law and deprive others of their basic
\nhuman rights and justice.<\/p>\n
\"Our chief concern is that religious values and moral
\nprinciples are no longer sufficient to prevent violent behavior,\"
\nJulius said.<\/p>\n
The mass violence escalated last week.<\/p>\n
Just three days after a mob burned the Tanah Abang district
\nhead office in Central Jakarta Monday, sectarian and ethnic riots
\nswamped the historic district of Rengasdengklok in Karawang, West
\nJava. The latest unrest hit an industrial estate near Bandung,
\nthe capital of West Java, and Pontianak, West Kalimantan Friday.
\nNobody was killed in last week's riots.<\/p>\n
The bishops council will disseminate its concerns in messages
\nto be read in Catholic churches nationwide in observance with
\nLent, the Catholic holy period which precedes Easter on March 29.<\/p>\n
Julius said the riots had disrupted harmony among different
\nreligious communities in the country and left minority groups
\n\"feeling insecure\".<\/p>\n
However, he hailed Moslem leaders for their help and
\ncondemnation of last October's riots in Situbondo, East Java, in
\nwhich five people were killed.<\/p>\n
He urged all religious communities to join forces in
\nstrengthening national unity and in eradicating corruption,
\ncollusion, torture and other forms of abuse.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we always encourage our people not to struggle for
\ntheir own benefit, but to work together with others, no matter
\nwhere they are from, for the sake of national interests,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
On recent suggestions to draft a law on religious harmony,
\nJulius doubted its success saying all Indonesians have shared the
\nsame burdens since they started a new life as a free nation more
\nthan 50 years ago.<\/p>\n
\"True harmony appeared in villages, where people felt the
\nsame. They only happened to have different religions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Julius also called for a just, honest and free general
\nelection. \"Any effort to manipulate or engineer the election by
\nany group is a serious violation of people's rights and dignity,
\nand to some extent will annul democracy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Roman Catholic Church would let its followers choose
\nfreely on election day, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Catholic people do not have to gather in the same group to
\nvoice their political interest,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Almost 125 million people throughout the country will go to
\npolling booths on May 29. The government only recognizes three
\npolitical groups to contest the election: the ruling Golkar, the
\nUnited Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
Julius reiterated his concern on East Timor, saying there had
\nbeen few changes in attitude in the 22 years since the former
\nPortuguese colony was integrated into Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Many still do not like (to join Indonesia). There are also
\nconcerns at the approach used (by Indonesia),\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If this does not change, I am afraid the young generation in
\nEast Timor who did not experience the civil war (in the 1970s)
\nwould not respect the ideals of integration with Indonesia. They
\nwill only inherit hatred,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"People may say they have been influenced by Fretilin
\n(separatists). But how could Fretilin have such a wide
\ninfluence?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
Julius advised the government to hold more dialogs with the
\nEast Timorese in order to reach an understanding.<\/p>\n
The predominantly Roman Catholic East Timor is still directly
\nadministered by the Vatican and not by the council of bishops in
\nJakarta. On East Timor, the Vatican follows the United Nations
\nwhich does not recognize integration with Indonesia. (amd)<\/p>",
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