Lessons from East Java

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.