'Dissidents cause unrest'

'Dissidents cause unrest'

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of Supreme Advisory Agency Admiral
(ret) Sudomo dismissed scientists' analyses that the recent
outbursts of violence jolting the country were caused by social
and economic disparities.

Instead, he blamed the unrest on "dissidents" unhappy with the
national development program and on poor political communication.
Speaking to reporters here Tuesday, he said there would always be
people manipulating the government's shortcomings.

"They will incite people to commit violence, manipulating
sensitive issues such as differences in religion, ethnic groups
and social and cultural conditions," he said.

Sudomo cited the Dec. 26 riot in the West Java town of
Tasikmalaya which claimed four lives and left dozens of buildings
either burned or damaged. It was sparked by police brutality
against three local Moslem teachers.

The riot in Tasikmalaya was preceded by similar violence in
Situbondo, East Java, and followed by more in Sanggau Ledo,
Singkawang, West Kalimantan.

Social and political scientists claim the violence, which
appears to have originated either from religious or sectarian
tension, was caused by people fed up with the current political
conditions and social and economic gaps.

Political analyst Amien Rais of Gadjah Mada University said in
a recent interview with Forum Keadilan the nation was already fed
up with rampant corruption and collusion between officials and
businessmen, and other practices that made the problem of poverty
worse.

He cited how small and middle class entrepreneurs in
Tasikmalaya were crushed by big businesses, drowning even more
people in "the economic swamp." "This problem was overlooked by
the government," Amien charged.

Sudomo, however, said: "it's not true that the violence was
triggered by social economic gaps. The Tasikmalaya people were a
well-paid society".

In another part of his explanation, Sudomo said the violence
would not have happened had the communication between government
officials and the public remained open and "harmonious".

"Officials should communicate more frequently, and absorb
people's aspiration through dialog," he said. "Those riots were
mainly caused by the absence of interaction between officials and
the public."

He also stressed the need for officials to hone their skills
in anticipating problems and be more sensitive to the various
problems the common people face.

"If officials are not close to people, they won't be able to
read people's minds," he added.

Sudomo, one time chief of the powerful internal security
agency, said the intelligence also played an important role in
anticipating potential unrest and conflict in society.

"Preventing riots would be better than restoring things after
them," he said. (imn)