Prevention key to public order

JAKARTA (JP): It is no exaggeration to suggest that the security issue prior to and during the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) next month demands special attention both from the government and the public.

No one can deny that the economic crisis could spill over into political upheaval if the government does not take anticipatory measures to deal with problems such as rising unemployment, skyrocketing prices of basic necessities, inflation and high interest rates.

The government itself has warned the public that there might be provocation by certain groups spreading unfounded rumors in order to disrupt political stability.

Judging from a spate of political violence that has rocked the country in recent years, it can be safely concluded that under the pressures of economic crisis and social injustice, people with low incomes in urban areas tend to seek recourse using violent means to express their frustrations and pent-up emotion.

There is a well-grounded suggestion that the security authorities must improve their preventive measures in dealing with security problems.

If security officials only act after violence breaks out there is a danger that people might question their seriousness in curbing criminal actions. On top of that, victims of mass riots will question the impartiality of the security system in general.

Interethnic conflict has always spilled over into riots.

It should be admitted that so far the government has done enough to put an end to the social, political and economic gap between wealthy Indonesians of Chinese origin, who are dominant in economic activities, on one side, and the relatively poor indigenous, on the other.

Courses on state ideology both through formal and informal channels have seemed to be ineffective and in some cases even counterproductive for eliminating this latent conflict.

Ethnic-colored conflict is widely believed to be deeply embedded in the whole structure of Indonesian social and economic systems since the colonial period. As such it can only be dealt with through a fundamental change in government economic policies.

The government does have the capacity and opportunity to improve interethnic relations.

There ought to be a strong political commitment to put an end to all practices of "quid pro quo" collaboration and collusion between tycoons of Chinese origin and the ruling elite.

It is high time now to support the weakest segments of the society so that they might be able to cope with the economic crisis.

The government may take the following steps in anticipating the outbreak of social unrest.

First, in addition to the IMF-sponsored package the government should consistently implement labor-intensive projects in order to create jobs. It is also necessary to convince the public that the whole nation would share the burden of structural adjustments in the economy in a fair and just manner.

Second, security authorities, especially at the local level, should take initiatives in conducting dialogs with prominent figures and religious leaders in order to encourage their cooperation in preventing the outbreak of social unrest.

Religious leaders can use their influence to convince their respective congregations that no religion would ever justify the use of violent means in solving social and economic problems.

Third, in times of economic troubles a government's credibility can easily be eroded. There is, however, an effective way for such erosion to be prevented.

The people have been waiting for real government action to curb corruption and collusion within bureaucracies. The people will be highly appreciative if the government can show its boldness in putting an end to all those illegal practices. The aim of such action is not only to appease the people but also to increase the efficiency of the national economy.

Fourth, the government should be prudent in handling security problems. Security officials are expected to deal with problems in a more elegant way. Making politics the scapegoat may even be viewed as a failure in addressing the root of the crisis.

Too much suspicion only creates panic and it could even lead to a much more explosive situation. Therefore, persuasive methods will be more effective than repressive ones in maintaining political stability.

There is a wide perception that meetings of the MPR's ad hoc committees since October last year have ignored issues related to the crisis. They have been so preoccupied with predetermined political agendas with the effect that they have had no time to discuss the possible way out of the crisis from the perspective of people's interests.

Let us hope that the MPR members display more sensitivity toward the aspirations of the people in order to bolster their interests in politics.

Such an act could stimulate people's participation in maintaining public order and security during the MPR's general session next month.

The writer is a lecturer at the School of International Relations, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, and a researcher at the Parahyangan Center for International Studies, at the same university.