Public uptight on lack of security, says sociologist

Public uptight on lack of security, says sociologist

JAKARTA (JP): Widespread insecurity fears are among the
factors that contributed to recent riots, sociologist Selo
Soemardjan said on Wednesday. This is in addition to groups
taking advantage of public distrust of the government and the
military.

"People are insecure, and they overreact to what they think is
the cause of the lack of security," Selo said after addressing a
session at talks held by the Center for Corporate Leadership.

Selo added there were "dark powers" seeking to profit from the
insecurity and distrust of the authorities. The distrust
continues, he said, because people have yet to gain explanation
of incidents like the student shootings of the University of
Trisakti, those near the Atma Jaya university, the still missing
victims of abductions, and the mass killings in Central and East
Java.

He told the forum that the future would be increasingly
gloomy, "if the election hands victory to those favoring the
status quo." Then the students and other groups insisting on
total reform "will struggle even harder than they are now."

A more intensive "battle" could be expected by the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly scheduled for after
next year's elections, he said, "given the increased experience
of both those wanting the status quo and students and other
groups wanting reform."

"However I have tried to tell students that they must listen
to voices from the public who, while supportive of them in the
beginning, are now beginning to complain because they can't do
their business," Selo said, citing food vendors.

President B.J. Habibie has said that those who might lose in
the elections should have a big heart. Selo said: "This should be
good advice but I'm not sure given the reality."

"While the House of Representatives, the Assembly, the Cabinet
and the Armed Forces (ABRI) are defending the status quo on the
basis of legality, the public are demanding reform on the basis
of social reality," Selo said.

A much-cited national dialog, he said, would be one way to
seek a way out of problems, but only if conducted on equal terms.

"If one party holds power over another and intimidates it with
possible charges of treason," the dialog would not be effective,
Selo said, in reference to a group of government critics
currently facing treason charges. The dialog would be better
initiated by parties outside the government, he said.

Selo reiterated recommendations of other parties that said the
most urgent steps were to ensure fair elections, the subsequent
replacement of the Habibie government with one with "a true
reform spirit" and public support, prioritizing poverty
alleviation and an end to the military's dual role to restore
trust in the Armed Forces.

While the government has yet to follow up on its planned
"reconciliation," Lt.Gen. Agum Gumelar, governor of the National
Resilience Institute, has raised the need of a "national dialog"
to prevent further unrest, which may take place next month.

Agum, another speaker at the talks titled Straightening the
Reform Agenda, spoke about ABRI's dual function in his paper on
political reform, based on the concept of reform within ABRI
announced earlier this year by ABRI Commander/Minister of Defense
and Security Gen. Wiranto.

Agum said later that based on ABRI's "new paradigm," its civil
role outside the military "would only be based on public
requests" by local councils. In response to questions on the past
rampant practice of engineering public requests to get military
personnel into positions such as regents, Agum pledged that "in
the future there will be no more intimidation."

Other speakers at the forum included Golkar executives Marzuki
Darusman and Marwah Daud, economist Didik Rachbini, and legal
experts Todung Mulya Lubis and Amir Syamsuddin. (anr)