Riot is the culmination of various problems: Sociologist

Riot is the culmination of various problems: Sociologist

JAKARTA (JP): The Tasikmalaya riot was a culmination of
various problems in Indonesian society, including legal
injustices, social tensions and gross wealth disparity,
sociologist Sardjono Jatiman said yesterday.

"Not many people realize these problems could trigger social
upheaval. But, once they accumulate, even the smallest thing can
spark off unrest," the staff lecturer at the University of
Indonesia told Antara.

He noted that disparity in wealth has been increasing as a
result of economic policies that emphasize growth rather than
equal distribution of income.

"The small become smaller and the big bigger. In this
situation, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening,"
said Sardjono, who teaches at the university's school of Social
and Political Sciences.

The Tasikmalaya unrest could happen anywhere else where there
are similar problems, he said, adding that the riot was not
instigated by religious conflicts.

Sardjono said gross income disparity is noticeable in
Tasikmalaya and neighboring Ciamis, where powerful retailers are
prospering faster than the majority of the population.

The big retailers only looked at the commercial feasibility
and not at the social feasibility when they arrived in the area,
he said.

A number of major department stores, including one owned by
the retail giant Matahari, were the arsonists' and looters'
targets in Thursday's unrest.

Sardjono said a social feasibility study would have helped the
big retailers become aware of the presence of longstanding small
shops as well as the buying power of the local people.

He called on the security apparatus to refrain from arbitrary
behavior and help establish a sense of justice among the people.

Members of the security forces who are posted among the people
must be given lessons on both mass-psychology and that the power
entrusted to them is a mandate not to be abused, he said.

Sardjono said the Tasikmalaya incident should compel the
government to address seriously the question of economic
disparity.

"To this day, we have only heard slogans. Certainly, the
campaign (for more equal wealth distribution) is not as vigorous
as the campaign to accelerate economic growth," he said. (emb)