Violent crimes: A national enigma<\/p>\n
By Mochtar Buchori<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): News about violent crimes, which have happened
\nso frequently lately in our society, has alarmed everyone in our
\nsociety, except the criminals themselves. People react in many
\ndifferent ways to this situation. There are those who panic,
\nfearing that they or one of their relatives will become the next
\nvictim of these mad crimes. There are also those who want the
\ngovernment to take firm measures immediately, and conduct a
\nnation-wide hunt against these criminals. They urge the
\ngovernment to launch a \"shock therapy\" operation.<\/p>\n
And then there are those who point out that hunting and
\neliminating the criminals alone will not solve the problem. They
\nargue that, ultimately, the step that must be taken in this
\nregard is the elimination of the sources of these crimes, which
\ninclude the ever widening gap between the haves and the have-
\nnots. As long as this social and economic imbalance is not
\nproperly addressed, and improvements in this respect are not
\nclearly visible, a new generation of criminals will always emerge
\nin our society to take over the role of those we have eliminated.<\/p>\n
Underneath these differing reactions there is one question
\nwhich baffles every member of our society. This is the question
\nof the origin of this barbaric and inhuman type of criminal
\noffensive. We have always had criminals in our society, but never
\nbefore have we witnessed such groups of sadistic criminals as we
\nhave now.<\/p>\n
Most of us are puzzled by this situation, since it clashes so
\nstarkly with the image we all have about ourselves and our
\nsociety. Aren't we the world's most friendly and warm-hearted
\npeople? Hasn't our society always been endowed with religious and
\nother ethical norms and wisdom to guide us in our individual and
\ncollective lives? How can it be that hordes of such beastly
\npeople managed to evolve in our society without anyone taking
\nnotice of them?<\/p>\n
Another question which is also troubling our society's psyche
\nconcerns itself with what must and will be done next to stop all
\nthese criminal acts and restore security, peace and order within
\nour society. No one seems to have a clear idea of what will
\neffectively stop this wave of criminal violence. This is very
\nworrying because as long as there is no convincing sign that we
\nhave the knowledge, skill or wisdom to handle this problem of
\nviolent crimes, the fear that one day we may also become a victim
\nof such a crime will always linger in our minds.<\/p>\n
For many of us there is no reason to believe that we are
\nexceptional people who cannot be touched by these criminals. No
\nmatter how law abiding and helpful we try to be towards others,
\nthere is always the probability that one day we will be
\nconfronted by a madman, who decides that we are going to be his
\nnext prey.<\/p>\n
The formula prescribed by the government in this case is that
\nsecurity, peace and order in our society are the collective
\nresponsibility of the entire society. It has been repeatedly
\nstated by high ranking government officials that it is
\nunrealistic to expect the government to be able to effectively
\nfight and abolish these criminal groups entirely on its own.<\/p>\n
Society must assist the government in this effort. If society
\nas a whole unites behind the government and supports its efforts
\nto control and stem crime, then we will succeed in this
\nparticular effort. But if our society is indifferent in this
\nregard and does not actively support the government, then we will
\nnever be able to restore security, peace and order in our
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
The problem with this formula is that it rests upon a very big
\nassumption. To assume that the entire society will be able to
\nunite itself, and stand solidly behind the government in fighting
\ncrimes is, in my opinion, a little presumptuous. At best, such an
\nassumption is an expression of hope, an ideal, and not a
\nstatement of an plausible policy.<\/p>\n
Groups within any society will unite only if they feel their
\ninterests will be protected and their opinions respected. So far
\nit is only in times of war, or severe national crises, that
\ngovernments are perceived as protecting the interests of the
\nentire society, irrespective of ideological or commercial
\ngroupings that exist in society.<\/p>\n
Does it mean then, that there is nothing the various groups
\nwithin our society can do to help the government fight criminal
\ngangs? Of course not. There are many things that each of us can
\ndo to help the government in this regard, but not through direct
\ninvolvement in steps aimed at eliminating crimes. Fighting
\ncriminal gangs requires a very high degree of professionalism. It
\nis not a job for amateurs. What each group within our society can
\ndo is to help the government eradicate the sources of these
\ncriminal acts. Each of us has to define the type of action we
\nwill take and the kind of attitude we will adopt to show our
\nparticipation in the campaign to eliminate the sources of crime.<\/p>\n
Whatever we decide to do, to become proactive in the national
\ncampaign to eradicate this criminal epidemic, we must always keep
\nin mind that restoring security, peace and order is, in the final
\nanalysis, a matter or restoring our collective respect towards
\nthe law and other ethical norms. Analyzed in terms of the mental
\nprocesses that underlie such behavior, this is a matter of
\nstrengthening our conative power, strengthening our determination
\nto respect and uphold norms.<\/p>\n
It is only if everyone of us, from top to bottom, does our
\nutmost to heighten our regard towards the law, and other ethical
\nnorms, that tangible improvements in security, peace and order
\nwill gradually emerge in our mid. But as long as there are still
\nmembers of society who put themselves above the law and other
\nethical norms, true security, peace and order will constantly
\nelude us.<\/p>\n
It should be clear by now that guiding our society to fight
\ncrimes and restore security, peace and order is not a matter of
\nmobilizing and solidifying societal support. It is more a matter
\nof educating society towards greater moral commitment. It is a
\nproblem of building up national conscience. This immense national
\nassignment can never be accomplished through rhetoric alone.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mochtar Buchori is an observer of social affairs based in
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
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