Pluralism makes Indonesia prone to violence

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's racial and religious pluralism makes it prone to violent conflicts similar to the ones that erupted in Tasikmalaya, West Java, last week and Situbondo, East Java, in October, sociologist Hotman Siahaan said yesterday.

"Rioting could occur in any other Indonesian region," Hotman Siahaan told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia was made up of several ethnic groups and hundreds of sub-ethnic and tribal groups, and this was further complicated by the religious pluralism, he said.

Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism are the five religions recognized by the state.

While religious or ethnical differences exist, conflicts were often triggered by political and economic factors.

"The potential for violence is amplified with the economic and political pressures the nation has been exposed to," Hotman said, adding: "In the absence of appropriate channels for people to air their grievances or aspirations, they turn to violence."

The huge disparity in wealth between the rich and poor could also trigger conflict, he said. "Such a wide economic gap further amplifies the potential for rioting."

The Situbondo and Tasikmalaya riots carried sectarian overtones, with churches being the primary targets for arson although the trigger had nothing to do with religion.

In Situbondo, it was triggered by Moslems' anger at a prosecution's sentencing demand for a young Moslem who was tried for blasphemy. The prosecution demanded five years, they demanded no less than a death sentence.

In Tasikmalaya, the trigger was allegations of police brutality against three teachers of a local Moslem boarding school.

In Situbondo, a priest and his relatives were among the five people who were killed. In Tasikmalaya, a woman found dead in a gutted church was one of four casualties.

Sahal Mahfudz, a Moslem scholar, warned separately that similar riots could break out in other parts of Indonesia.

"Every region has similar potential for violence," Sahal, deputy chairman of the law-making body of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslems Organization, said.

To solve the problem, or minimize the likelihood of violence, Indonesia must work harder to implement the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, he said, referring to the state motto which means "unity in diversity".

He said Moslems in particular should be more careful.

"Everyone, particularly Moslems, must avoid the pitfalls that caused the recent violent incidents," he said.

NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid said in Kebumen, Central Java, Wednesday the complexity of the Tasikmalaya riot pointed to the possibility a third party, who fanned the public's anger and discontent, being involved.

The allegations of police brutality may have caused the anger, but the social and economic disparities found in Tasikmalaya also played their part in the riot, he said.

"This is a warning for all of us, that disenchantment is spreading in the country. We have to take immediate and serious action to address economic disparity," he said.

Abdurrahman said small traders, mostly Moslems, have been losing out in business competition against the big businesses owned largely by Indonesians of Chinese origin.

"We're not blaming the Chinese-Indonesian traders for their economical supremacy. But Moslem traders too should be given the opportunity to do business," he said.

"This is a difficult task to perform. It requires patience, hard work and willingness from parties involved," he added. (har/imn)