Back to normal

Reports citing Jakarta's military commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso as saying that the military personnel deployed at a number of public places in the wake of the July 27 upheavals will soon be withdrawn must be taken as a sure indication that Indonesia's capital city has now more or less recovered from the blow of a little more than a fortnight ago. Such an official assurance is certainly needed to help Jakartans recover from this terrible trauma. It certainly will greatly help get day-to-day business going once again as usual in this city.

Nevertheless, we believe that the use of the qualification "more or less" is appropriate for the moment because, after all, one only has to listen to people's daily conversations to detect the wariness and tension that continue to hang in the air. Even though most Jakartans would probably prefer to forget the episode, the events of the past weeks and their aftermath are still on everybody's lips.

In the meantime, it goes without saying that one can hardly expect full normalcy to return if such a climate continues to persist. Surely, the high gear in which Jakarta's political rumor mill appears to be running is an indication that some of the tensions persist. Conversely, in many cases, the rumors help to keep mutual distrust and suspicion alive among Jakarta's citizenry. Regular moves and shifts that are taking place within the ruling power elite -- the military in particular -- immediately give rise to speculations. Hardly a day goes by without somebody somewhere telling his or her latest bit of tantalizing "information" about what is "really" going on.

One could say that this kind of situation is only to be expected, considering the intensity of the ordeal which Jakartans have had to go through in the past two weeks. Nevertheless, there is no other option but to act -- as soon as possible -- to clear this climate of uncertainty and misinformation if genuine peace and order are to be established once again in Jakarta.

Since distress and unrest breed uncertainty and rumors, one important prerequisite for reassuring Jakartans and restoring a genuine atmosphere of peace is to put them at ease concerning what might happen now that the authorities are in full control of the situation. One effective way to do this would be by avoiding excessive or confusing statements. Also, it would help to improve official credibility and authority by avoiding what the public might perceive as inconsistencies between words and deeds on the part of officials.

In the final analysis, as has been said many times before, transparency and straightforwardness in public statements and policies are still among the most effective methods for achieving genuine peace and order, which society needs, and establishing the firm authority officials should possess. The worst now seems to be behind us. Let us hope that the lessons of the past events have really been learned by us all without exception.