'Jargon creates much suspicion'
JAKARTA (JP): A senior legislator criticized the military yesterday for forever blaming an unnamed "third party" for every case of mob religious and sectarian violence.
Handjojo Putro said the authorities should stop using jargon such as "third party" and "mastermind" to apportion blame for the mass riots.
"This type of jargon can create endless suspicion among the people and this will not help solve any problems," said the House of Representatives member from the Indonesian Democratic Party.
Instead, he told journalists, the authorities should catch and bring to court anyone, without exception, they believe has violated the law and stirred up public unrest.
Handjojo was commenting on Armed Forces chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung's claim that the authorities had identified and would arrest the "masterminds" behind recent riots in Situbondo and Tasikmalaya.
Feisal declined to name the suspected culprits because the authorities had yet to collect more hard evidence in order to arrest them. His statement made headlines in local newspapers yesterday.
Handjojo said not only would pointing the finger at an anonymous third party make people of different groups suspicious of each other but it would also confuse victims of the violence.
"What is more important is to find the root cause of the problem," he said, reported Antara.
Legal action, he argued, would be more laudable than a statement because the former would show the public the law was duly being upheld.
Separately, legislator Aisyah Amini from the United Development Party proposed the government take rioters to trial to deter other people from rioting.
"Besides, the government should find out why mob violence is happening with such a high frequency," said Aisyah, who chairs House Commission I overseeing defense and security affairs.
She said she believed the mass riots, including the one that rocked the West Kalimantan town of Singkawang on Dec. 29, were instigated by irresponsible people for some political purpose.
The evidence, she said, were the leaflets incited people into joining in the destructive action.
"Certainly, some people had orchestrated the action," said Aisyah, also a member of the National Commission on Human Rights.
Abu Hasan Sazili, a House member representing the ruling Golkar party, urged the authorities to get the masterminds General Feisal has identified and take them to court.
"Prompt legal action is needed so that people will stop trying to guess who the puppet masters of the riots are," he said. (pan)