Back to normal

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withdrawn must be taken as a sure indication that Indonesia's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.