Chinese frequently the target of violence: Scholar
Chinese frequently the target of violence: Scholar
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians of Chinese descent, regardless of
economic class, have long been the victims of sporadic violence
because the government has failed to reduce socioeconomic
tension, a scholar said yesterday.
Economist Rizal Ramli said at the first day of a discussion on
state violence that Chinese people often fall prey to resentment
and a belief that they invariably become rich because they profit
from government facilities at the expense of "native
Indonesians".
However, he said, "more often than not the Chinese who become
victims of violence were those who have never enjoyed such
facilities. They are usually people from (lower economic
classes)." Those of Chinese descent who have profited can easily
flee when violence erupts, he added.
Resentment is generally felt by both natives and so-called
non-natives, he said, because officials tend to provide more
facilities, credit and assets to non-natives. Government
officials even prefer to take bribes from non-natives because, he
said, they're more discreet.
Favoritism has also led to the country being run by poorly
qualified people, he said.
"Those who rise to the top layer of society are not the best
native sons, but those who profit from rampant nepotism...the
grandsons or nephews of people in power," he said. "They are not
able to compete with the non-natives who are more skillful, more
trained."
The seminar is being held by the Indonesian Society for
Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) and Community Development in
cooperation with the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy.
The participants at the seminar, which ends today, are primarily
Moslem leaders as well as social activists and observers.
Other speakers include political observers Arbi Sanit,
Alexander Irwan, A.S. Hikam, Mochtar Mas'oed, and Moslem leaders
Abdurrahman Wahid and Cholil Bisri.
Rizal also criticized the government for its lack of
"systematic strategies to reduce social and economic gaps." He
cited Malaysia as an example of a country which has successfully
implemented measures and policies to decrease the gaps between
Chinese and ethic Malays.
He said Indonesia will only be able to rid itself of tension-
producing social and economic gaps by cleaning up government. "As
long as there are corrupt officials there will always be
discriminatory treatment," he said.
He suggested beginning with education as a means to reform.
Special educational facilities could be provided free for
talented children, he said, adding that Malaysia has already
applied such policies.
"Indonesian children don't have the incentives to excel
academically," he said. "What would happen if the government gave
students the opportunity to go to the best schools for free?"
Alexander Irwan in his paper presentation focused on violence
in general elections. The violence is an indication of the "poor
political legitimacy of this government".
He cited as an example the recent violence against the two
minority parties -- the Moslem-based United Development Party
(PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). In mid-July, he
said, a PPP activist in Sampang, Madura, was threatened with a
machete into signing a certain document in front of members of
the ruling Golkar grouping and the Armed Forces (ABRI).
"This highlighted the political alliance among Golkar, the
bureaucracy, organizers of the general elections, ABRI and the
police," Irwan said.
"The violence against supporters or members of PPP and PDI is
an indication of the government's poor political legitimacy," he
said.
"Had the Indonesian people liked the government's economic and
political policies, there wouldn't have been any need for the
power holders to be dishonest," he said. (swe)