Is life cheap?
Is killing acceptable in our culture? It seems that our history is full of killings. Conflicts appear to be resolved by eliminating the other parties and wiping them off the face of the planet. Transitions of our governments have often been characterized by bloody feuds. It seems that many kingdoms prior to the 16th century were sullied by the killings of the kings and queens.
During the colonial period, killings took place at the hands of the colonialists and those who were recruited by them. Betrayals, abductions, imprisonment, torture, rape, executions etc. were common methods to subdue and control the indigenous people. Splitting, bribing, and such divide-et-impera policies were used to conquer groups in revolt.
Our independence wars were very bloody. We had to take our freedom by force. The cost of lives was tremendous. At least twice after our independence, the then Dutch government attempted to retake our country by bombing, raiding, killing and injuring many innocent people. A bomb landed on the dining table while my mother was pregnant with me. Luckily, it did not explode. But the trauma caused her to be emotionally shaken. I remember as a five year old child I saw the dead bodies of Indonesian soldiers and people on the streets in Bandung during Westerling's attack.
The students are fed up with the whole situation prevailing today. The so-called adults in the government are playing games with people's lives. The killing of the four Trisakti students in Jakarta, the butchering of religious people in Banyuwangi, East Java, and the recent shooting of the student demonstrators during the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly by the security personnel.
What is going on here? Religions are used to justify killings. Then killing begets killing. When will we break out of this vicious circle? Killing has got to stop. The only way to stop is if we believe that every human being has a God-given soul and nobody has the right to destroy God's creation. Life is not cheap. It is very precious. It is the obligation of all human beings on earth to help each other regardless of origins, nationality, religion, race, sex. age, etc. That is the only real meaning of life.
K. PRIBADI
Cimahi, West Java