A melting pot surviving the tests of reform

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.