Countering rumors

There may be more than a grain of truth in the old Slovakian saying that one rumor breeds another. How else can one explain the many -- unverified and unverifiable -- stories that are currently going around about upcoming price hikes, job dismissals, social unrest and other blows and upheavals?

While many rumors are harmless, being started as innocent speculation, and unintentionally enlarged as they are spread by gullible people worried or unsure about the future, others are intentionally malignant and have a true potential of upsetting the normal course of life in the community -- weapons, so to speak, in the hands of unscrupulous people with grudges and no other means to achieve their aims, whatever they may be. Clearly, whether innocent in origin or of malevolent intent, in our present troubled community rumors only help to aggravate the problems which the nation is already facing.

Among the rumors currently going around Jakarta, and reportedly also in a few other cities in this country, probably one of the most worrying is the one claiming that unrest is going to break out in several major cities on or around August 17, Indonesia's 53rd independence day anniversary. A few rational arguments can be made to counter such rumors.

First, in our present situation, and especially with the upheavals that rocked Jakarta and several other major cities in the middle of May still fresh in everybody's mind, it can be expected that the security apparatus is on the alert for trouble -- continually, but especially on special days when large gatherings of people can be expected in many places.

Second, August 17, National Day, is considered inviolate by masses of Indonesians and it would take an extreme degree of daring, or foolishness, on the part of anyone trying to despoil that special event by creating trouble. There can be no doubt that any such attempt would backfire on the perpetrators. For those reasons, it seems reasonable to say that while preparedness is always advisable, any undue anxiety is baseless.

Still, those rumors do have some people worried, and it is probably to reassure the population that the authorities in Jakarta have made it known that police and military officers will be deployed in sufficient numbers in strategic places throughout the city.

By itself, of course, such a show of readiness against any eventuality is laudable. In these times of hardship and trouble, any signal from the authorities that they have things under control is helpful. On the other hand, it is advisable that any such show of preparedness be kept within proper limits, lest the impression be created that there is, after all, something to worry about.

For the authorities and for the public alike, these are difficult times, indeed. It is probably true to say that the very fact that so many rumors are going around, and that leaflets circulated by irresponsible elements in society are all too often being taken seriously, is an indication that the public's trust in both the authorities and in the media has not, at present, been fully restored.

So far, it is true, there is no indication that the rumors now circulating have done any real harm. Still, the fact that they seem to have had some effect in some sections of our community is an indication that both the government and the media must work hard to win the public's full confidence. This may be easier said than done. But only by winning the people's full confidence can the community be effectively shielded from any malignant rumor mongering.