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)