Scholar says anxiety rising in society<\/p>\n
SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): Recent violent incidents in some
\nparts of the country indicate growing frustration among some
\npeople about their circumstances, noted intellectual Umar Kayam
\nsays.<\/p>\n
\"There appears to be rising anxiety among the people in
\nIndonesia which has been caused by the growing inequality between
\nthe members of society,\" Umar said in a discussion on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"Life has become tougher now for many people. Many of them are
\nout of jobs, while those who do work are not earning enough to
\nmake ends meet,\" said the senior staff lecturer at the School of
\nLetters of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The one-day discussion at Semarang's City Hall was organized
\nby the Association of Indonesian Women Graduates. Karlina
\nLeksono, a staff lecturer of Diponegoro University and Soetedjo
\nof the Central Java Family Planning Board were the other two
\nspeakers at the seminar.<\/p>\n
Recent brutal killings and the backlash they created, and
\nviolent demonstrations such as the one that occurred in
\nPurwakarta, West Java, last week, are indications of people's
\nfrustration, Umar said.<\/p>\n
\"The situation has been worsened by the fact that the
\npolitical environment is not open, so that these feelings of
\nanxiety do not have any outlet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"These incidents should indicate that something isn't right.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, the government appears to have turned a blind
\neye and is not providing any solutions. The anxiety and
\nfrustrations sometimes explode, creating even more confusion,\"
\nUmar said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that it is not easy to solve the inequality
\nproblem, such as overcoming unemployment or providing good but
\naffordable schools for the people.<\/p>\n
Umar however lamented at the way the government has responded
\nto these violent incidents, such as by clamping down or by making
\nstrong accusations against certain people. \"Such accusations
\nclearly are not helping at all.\" (har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scholar-says-anxiety-rising-in-society-1447893297",
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