Indonesian unity always in fragile state: Wahono

Indonesian unity always in fragile state: Wahono

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia as a nation could break apart if any one group in its highly diversified society seeks to impose its will on others, House speaker Wahono said on Saturday.

Wahono said strong nationalism has helped keep the country united but that the situation remains precarious because of the mix of religious and ethnic groups.

"Problems could arise if this peaceful coexistence is disrupted, for example by one of its elements seeking dominance or hegemony," he said in the seminar that was organized by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The presence of Wahono, a former chairman of the ruling political group Golkar, as a keynote speaker at the PDI seminar raised eyebrows, especially at a time when most other Golkar leaders were taking part in the congress of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals.

Also present at the seminar was PDI chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. Leading Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid, who is also chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, was also scheduled to address the meeting.

Wahono said in his speech that history is filled with inter- religious wars dating back centuries, some of which are still being waged to this day.

Conflicts between religious communities are generally the result of mutual suspicion and enmity, with each camp usually claiming to strive for the blessing of God, he said.

He pointed to the violent conflicts in Bosnia between Roman Catholics and Moslems, between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, and between Jews, Christians and Moslems in the Middle East. He also cited the conflict in Sudan between Moslems and Christians, between Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka, and the cross-border conflict between Christian Armenia and Moslem Azerbaijan.

"What is really sad is that in most of these cases, religion is being used as the main component in the human destruction machine. This is something that is totally contradictory to all religions that exist on the face of earth," he said.

The problem could potentially develop in Indonesia, Wahono warned, adding that the integrity of the country is something that every element in society must work for.

The various religious communities in Indonesia must hold continuous dialogs to strengthen the sense of nationalism and narrow the disparities that exist.

"They should cultivate a feeling of solidarity in the sense that we all share the responsibility for the fate of all citizens," he said. (rms)