Rudini blames government for widespread violence<\/p>\n
MALANG, East Java (JP): Political observer Rudini believes the
\nwidespread violence in Indonesia is caused by the government's
\nheavy-handed approach to handling sociopolitical problems.<\/p>\n
Rudini, a former home affairs minister now heading the
\nInstitute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia, said Saturday the
\npublic was adopting the violent, coercive tactics the government
\noften used to settle disputes.<\/p>\n
He made the remarks in a seminar organized by the Indonesian
\nCatholic Students Association.<\/p>\n
Rudini was commenting on the soaring cases of crime and
\nviolence, such as student street brawls in major cities, which
\nare increasingly worrying the public.<\/p>\n
\"In Jakarta, robbery and student brawls happen almost every
\nday. University students are also involved in street brawls,\" he
\nsaid. \"It's difficult to imagine the nation's future if college
\nstudents are involved in street brawls.\"<\/p>\n
Rudini said the government also resorted to violence when
\ndealing with sociopolitical conflicts. This approach, he argued,
\nheightened tension rather than solved problems.<\/p>\n
He implied that a case in point was the way the government
\nhandled the internal dispute within the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights, in its report on the
\nJuly 27 riot in Jakarta, said that the government helped a rebel
\nfaction take over the PDI headquarters from the supporters of
\nousted leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
\"The government sets aside persuasive approaches because such
\na policy is considered inefficient,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
He criticized the government's unwillingness to initiate
\ndialogs, saying that this posture teaches the public to take the
\nlaw into its own hands.<\/p>\n
\"The majority of our society is simple minded. They take their
\nleaders as their models. A thousand speeches on corruption,
\ntherefore, are a waste of time if the speakers commit the same
\ncrime,\" Rudini said to rousing cheers from congress participants.<\/p>\n
Rudini said that many government officials are not ashamed of
\ntheir mischievous conduct. \"They intimidate people and act as
\nlords instead of the people's servants as they are supposed to,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, Rufinus Lahur of the Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies, shared Rudini's view, saying that the
\ncountry's youths are dismayed by inconsistency between their
\nleaders' words and actions.<\/p>\n
\"Pancasila upgrading courses for students ranging from
\nelementary school to post-graduate level serve as little more
\nthan rhetoric,\" Rufinus said.<\/p>\n
He also criticized the government for failing to implement the
\npolitical openness it initiated.<\/p>\n
\"The government always assumes that the people are not
\nsufficiently prepared for political openness. Don't you think
\nthis premise should be reversed?\" he asked. (25\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rudini-blames-government-for-widespread-violence-1447893297",
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