A melting pot surviving the tests of reform

The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung

In this era of regional autonomy, every province and regency has been craving the government's attention, with the exception of Lampung. Or so it seems.

As Jakarta's hinterland, Lampung seems to have been sidelined. The province with an area of 35,376 square kilometers and a population of 6.5 million has long been known as a destination for transmigrants from Java, Bali and other islands across the country. The settlers have mixed with the locals, comprising ethnic Malays, Rawas, and residents of Lampung and Semedo. Together, they have built the present-day Lampung, which was officially set up on Feb. 13, 1964. In a way, Lampung is to Jakarta what Australia is to the United Kingdom.

Many say that the province, like Jakarta, is a miniature representation of Indonesia, where people of various ethnic groups live together in harmony. Unlike Jakarta, however, no ethnic or religious conflicts have occurred in the province since the downfall of former president Soeharto in 1998.

Thanks to the reform era, Lampung has been bustling with activities that help promote the development of a civil society. One indication is the mushrooming non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have been established since 1998. The number of press publications, especially printed media, has also increased.

Lampung, a coffee and pepper producer and home to one of the country's largest shrimp industries, is also associated with some of Indonesia's big businessmen, including tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, the owner of PT Dipasena, a subsidiary of the Gajah Tunggal group, and the late Ahmad Bakri, the founder of Bakrie Brothers.

Lampung also has its dark side. The name Lampung brings to mind one of the country's worst human rights cases that took place in Talangsari village in 1989. That year, troops led by Col. A.M. Hendropriyono, now chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), crushed an alleged Islamic militant group led by Anwar Warsidi. At least 300 people were reportedly killed. The case has yet to be solved.

The Jakarta Post's reporters Ahmad Junaidi and Kurniawan Hari visited the province last week to look into issues related with conflict-prevention efforts, regional autonomy and efforts to promote civil society.

During the five-day visit, the Post also interviewed residents of Talangsari and elephant trainers at the Way Kambas elephant training center, Central Lampung.

They also visited the old Krui seaport in West Lampung, a port used for exports during the Dutch colonial days until the 1950s.

The drive across the province's long and quiet roads bringing the two reporters to eight regencies and two municipalities was another story. The driver of their rented van refused to travel at night as highwaymen were reportedly still operating on the roads.

The following are their reports.