Economic disparity threatens unity: Scholar

UJUNGPANDANG, S. Sulawesi (JP): Scholar Taufik Abdullah has said that two of the greatest threats facing Indonesia are the economic gap and regional development differences.

Without appropriate handling these problems could lead to disintegration, says Taufik, an historian and National Institute of Sciences senior researcher.

People in the less developed eastern regions of Indonesia have started demanding serious attention, he said.

"In addition to the gap and disparity in development, national disintegration may emerge from (discontent) over the performance of those in power," he told The Jakarta Post after addressing a seminar on Islam and Nationalism at the Alaudin State Institute for Islamic Studies here Saturday.

"People have started to demand change while the power holders want to maintain the status quo," he said, adding that discontent could erupt into violence.

The recent riot here, he said, was actually "a criticism of the power holders".

The rioters might have hurled stones at the homes and businesses of ethnic Chinese, but "stoning is an act that is prohibited by the power holders. If people did it, they were indirectly criticizing the power holders."

Ahmad Syafii Maarif, an historian from the State Institute of Islamic Studies in Yogyakarta, agreed with Taufik, adding that discontent could also arise over "the face of the power holders".

He said one example was the accumulation of power in only a few levels of society.

Another example was that all the members of one family had seats in legislative bodies, he said.

Komaruddin Hidayat, a lecturer at the Syarif Hidayatullah Institute of Islamic Studies in Jakarta, said that religions and ethnicity were no longer the main obstacles preventing national integration.

"What's more important is for us to provide political education to people," he said.

"Without political education people will have to only watch power being enjoyed by a few."

He said that the people had been politically alienated, despite development.

"This is very sad," he said.

"The political culture shown by the elite (group) is really chaotic."

He said people would stay united if they felt they shared the same fate. But political and economic injustice could cause disintegration.

"This threat will appear even more transparent if people's sovereignty is trampled upon by the power holders," he said.

"People feel suffocated because they know there's a system, but control is weak and the power holders are arrogant," he said.

He called for greater space for public expression. (37/10/swe)