Emotions still too high

Emotions still too high

Indonesian people today are like dying grass in a long season
of draught, catching fire at the smallest of sparks, said a noted
scholar recently.

The veracity of this statement is, ironically, seen all around
us during this fasting month of Ramadhan. Last week alone there
were outbursts in several parts of the country. People seem to
have forgotten that they must control their emotions and remain
calm during this holy month.

Indonesia is witnessing an appalling increase in violence,
cruelty and anger. In many cases, moral values seem to have been
turned upside down and parents have failed to instill respect and
good behavior in their children. The clashes which took place in
East and South Jakarta over the weekend involved young people who
disturbingly played with firecrackers right after Muslims
finished their predawn meal. Had their parents been able to
control them, this incident would not have taken place, and the
ensuing brawl would not have occurred. However, these youths
interrupted the peace of the fasting Muslims, and their
irresponsible actions led to further violence and anger.

Muslim religious leaders have for decades warned people
against the use of firecrackers, saying they have nothing to do
with Islamic rituals. The authorities have also cracked down on
the sale of firecrackers, but they are still available to young
people.

In the two incidents last weekend, emotions were high and
tempers were short. Luckily, the situations did not get out of
control. However, at the same time in Poso, a town in Central
Sulawesi, at least 22 people were hospitalized following a riot
that was started by a rumor that a mosque and a church were
attacked.

The rumormonger, who must have had a subversive mission, knew
how easily incited people are by mere hearsay. Such people are
so easily set on fire that they do not bother to check the truth.

Why has the situation become so explosive? The painful reality
is that the majority of our people are suffering from economic
hardships. Their pain is beyond words, and they seem to have no
tolerance for any mind racking reality or news, especially when
their interests are affected.

When three repeat offenders attempted to rob a woman near the
Kramatjati marketplace in East Jakarta on Saturday evening, at
least 500 people, armed with machetes, gave chase. Two of the
criminals escaped, but the third, who was discovered hiding in
some bushes by the mob, was hacked to death by the raging crowd.

In a normal situation, they would have caught the robber, who
was too weak to escape after his long flight in the dark, and
handed him over to the police. But these people were too angry to
think. The man's head was crushed and one of his hands nearly cut
off. What a horrible and frightening act.

In many cases of mob rule, the police are not to be found on
the scene or the people have already decided to take the law into
their own hands. Or the latter is caused by the former. When the
people of the North Sumatra port town of Belawan decided to
attack a local red-light district over the weekend, their reason
was that the businesses had reopened despite their promises to
police authorities that they would close down for the whole of
Ramadhan. Because they lack the necessary staff, the police
refused to take responsibility for verifying if in fact these
businesses had closed down.

This may sound like an excuse, but there may be some truth
behind it. The ratio between the police and the population is
still one police officer for every 1,200 citizens. This is one of
the lowest ratios among developing countries. The government has
repeatedly said that the ideal ratio is one officer for every 300
citizens.

With the trend toward violence on the rise, the authorities
should again reconsider enlarging the police force and improving
the quality of all police officers. This seems more logical than
creating a militia, which many people suspect will be abused for
the government's political ends.