Prevention key to public order

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.