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.