No need for another riot

No need for another riot

From Republika

Having observed the country's present economic and political turmoil, we, in the spirit of reform, would like to call on the transitional government under B.J. Habibie to reform the laws on politics and organize a general election as soon as possible and immediately undertake a national economic rescue program, particularly with respect to food supplies at prices affordable by the majority of the people. We also hope that the present government and the government to be formed after the next general election continue implementing total reforms and not allow any form of mismanagement and abuse of power.

Then, in order to prevent a recurrence of riots characterized by discrimination and SARA (tribal affiliations, religion, race, societal groups) -- which quantitatively and qualitatively reached the highest level of intensity in the New Order era -- and to avoid national disintegration, we earnestly hope that the government, the House of Representatives and all forces of the national reform drive -- including university students -- to fight for the issuance of an anti-SARA/antidiscrimination law. This in addition to striving for the drafting of an antimonopoly law, an anticollusion law, an antinepotism law and an anticorruption law.

An anti-SARA/antidiscrimination law is important to ensure that there will be legal protection to every Indonesian citizen in terms of law enforcement and human rights. It is true that our penal code stipulates articles which may be used to protect the community from any anarchic/discriminative/SARA-smacking acts. However, these articles have been used only with respect to the criminal elements of these acts, such as looting, arson, murder and rape, and have never been successfully used to bring the mastermind of any anarchic/discriminatory riot to court.

To prevent the recurrence of similar riots in future, our state, which is pursuant to the 1945 Constitution, is a law- abiding state, must have a legal instrument which cannot only be fairly and firmly used against the perpetrators of anarchic/discriminative riots but also provide legal handling to the victims of such riots.

We also appreciate and support the statement President Habibie made recently when inspecting the burned buildings in Glodok and Klender, to the effect that anything smacking of SARA/discrimination cannot be tolerated.

Amien Rais himself has given his word that the recent riots will never recur and appealed to Indonesians of foreign origin now seeking safety abroad to return to this beloved country.

It is our hope that all this is not mere propaganda or an artificial statement made to draw sympathy from all ethnic groups in this plural nation, but something to be followed up with concrete measures on the basis of written laws.

Let us set aside some time to contemplate on what KH Zainuddin MZ has said: "How would I feel if that set on fire or looted were mine?"

We hope that in this era of reform there will be no recurrence of any incidents which may hurt our fellow countrymen. We are all part of one nation -- the Indonesian nation. God willing, as a nation, we will make progress if we strongly uphold the spirit of brotherhood and see to it that stability is well maintained.

ANTON HADIWARSA

Jakarta