Lessons from East Java

The mob violence that was as of Thursday continuing in East Java is a stark reminder of the dangers that are inherent in Indonesia's current experimentation with democracy.

At least two policemen and 21 civilians were reportedly slightly injured in Lamongan when supporters of embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid attacked the local office of Golkar, the political party Abdurrahman supporters see as being in the forefront of attempts to speed up the impeachment procedure against the President.

Police fired blanks into the air after two were slightly injured as rock-throwing Abdurrahman supporters tried to force their way into the Golkar office. Twenty-one civilians were injured, some of them in clashes with police while others were trampled on by fellow protesters.

The incident could have turned into a repeat of Wednesday's violence in Surabaya, the provincial capital of East Java, where tens of thousands of Abdurrahman supporters stormed and set fire to the provincial headquarters of Golkar.

It must be noted that the overwhelming majority of Abdurrahman's supporters come from the Nahdlatul Ulama organization (NU), which is reputed to be the biggest Islamic organization in Indonesia with an estimated 40 million members.

What makes the current situation rather scary is that NU has its base in pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), which are led by highly respected ulemas whose word is generally taken as law by their santri (students). That same respect extends into the rural communities in a pesantren's surroundings.

It could be logically argued that with such a degree of respect, the ulemas should have been easily able to prevent their students and members of the communities within their spheres of influence from going on such a rampage as that which happened in Surabaya on Wednesday and in Lamongan on Thursday. Indeed, President Abdurrahman Wahid himself, being a former chairman of the NU, could logically have put a swift end to the rioting.

That is not what happened during the week. Either there is a limit to the influence the ulemas exert on their followers or they have a different line of reasoning that makes certain actions acceptable under specific circumstances. Either way, it makes for a situation that politicians would do well to consider.

The latest word in this national tragedy is that the President will travel to East Java on Friday to calm his followers. The President is scheduled to visit Pasuruan, a city on the northeastern coast of the province which is known as a NU stronghold.

Indonesians, while relieved at the President's rather belated decision, will be paying full attention to what the President has to say, and not just to the overall content of his statement, but to the wording as well. His media statement on Wednesday night that he found the rioting in Surabaya "understandable" even as he called on his followers to remain calm, obviously did not satisfy everyone. Already, Golkar has stated its intention to sue the government, the National Police and those responsible for inciting the rampaging on Wednesday for the attacks.

At this point in the nation's history, however, pointing the finger at each other will be useless if not totally counterproductive. In the final analysis, the whole nation must share the blame for what has happened. Democracy is not established by undemocratic means. This, though, goes not only for those who went on the rampage in East Java during the week, but also for those who like to distort the Constitution to make it fit their own needs and ambitions.

It is high time Indonesians start making a real effort to play by the rules and observe political decorum. Long and arduous as the road may be, it could be the only safe way to reach our long cherished goal of building a true, orderly democratic society in Indonesia.