Justice in Nipah

Justice has finally come to the villagers of Nipah on the island of Madura, East Java. Now it is to be hoped that with the return of the villagers' peace of mind the former tranquility will also be restored.

Although it has taken almost three years for justice to take its course and although not everyone will be entirely satisfied with the outcome, few people will deny that the military court proceedings that have taken place in Surabaya since the beginning of this month will greatly restore the confidence which most people have in the fairness of the Armed Forces (ABRI).

As may be recalled, what was later to become known as the Nipah incident stirred up waves of protest. It occurred late in 1993 near the town of Sampang on the island of Madura and involved a dispute over land between the village population of the area and the authorities. The act that sparked the violence was reportedly the measuring of land by the authorities, without the consent of the villagers, for appropriation as a dam was to be built on the site.

On September 25 hundreds of villagers marched to the site and a confrontation ensued in which shots were fired by troops, killing four villagers. Protests immediately arose, from among others the influential ulemas of the island and from students, who staged demonstrations in a number of places. A protest also came from Amnesty International over the alleged arrest and interrogation of 17 villagers who were believed to have been the driving force behind the villagers' actions.

As a result of the public uproar the government shelved the land appropriation in the area for the dam project. The military ordered a probe into the incident and said that the soldiers responsible for the deaths would be brought before a military tribunal if there was evidence to support the allegations.

Early this month the long-awaited trial began after a long delay which the military said was due to the prolonged investigations. On Monday three soldiers and one policeman were discharged from the forces and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 19 months to two years and four months.

Again, not everybody may be satisfied with the results of the trial, as is usually the case with court proceedings. Nevertheless, despite the long delay, the manner in which the Nipah incident has been resolved, together with several other examples lately, appears to demonstrate the Armed Forces' increasing awareness of the importance to give due consideration to the growing sense of fairness and justice that pervades public sentiment.

For rank-and-file soldiers on duty in the field this case may serve as a reminder that trigger-happiness is not the best way to resolve a crisis. It is quite likely that in the months and years to come popular protests over public policies will increase as a result of the growing political and social maturity of our people. It certainly is a heartening sign that those who are in charge of maintaining order and security are well aware of these developments.