Riots stem from discrimination, say legislator and sociologist

JAKARTA (JP): Discriminatory social policies, designed to serve the interests of elite groups rather than society as a whole, are to blame for the recent outbreaks of violence, according to legislator Hari Sabarno and sociologist Selo Soemardjan.

Hari, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and Selo of the University of Indonesia separately conceded that there has for a long time been the latent potential for social conflicts in the country.

Selo was quoted by Antara as saying on Thursday, in East Java's town of Malang, that he believed the country's present economic predicament was only adding fuel to this suppressed social discord.

"It would be better if scientists were to study the matters so we could gain accurate and reliable information," Selo said.

Hari revealed to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday the preliminary findings of the House's team investigating the continuing bloodshed on the islands of Maluku.

"At a glance, it's a religious struggle... but a deeper look shows it to be unique," said Hari, an active Army lieutenant general of the House's Armed Forces faction.

He said northern and southeastern Maluku are predominantly Muslim areas, while both Christians and Muslims live on the central islands.

But as continued bloodshed was reported from Maluku on Thursday, Hari said the team had uncovered rivalry among the indigenous communities and the Buton, Bugis and Makasar migrant groups from South Sulawesi.

The House's eight-member fact-finding team led by Hari toured the riot-torn areas for three days ending last Monday.

"Conflicts between local ethnic groups, although of different religions, could be managed through traditional ceremonies," Hari said, referring to the pela gandong custom which makes "brothers" of conflicting parties.

Migrants who came centuries ago adopted the tradition while those who came only 25 years ago, or more recently, failed to do so, he said.

More than 100 people have been killed, mostly in communal clashes, in the Maluku province since January. On Thursday, another 3,000 refugees, including Ambonese, joined South Sulawesi migrants returning to Ujungpandang by ferry.

Hari said resentment could be traced to the feeling of local people that they had been sidelined from the bureaucracy as more educated migrants took over their jobs and controlled policy making. Migrants were seen to prosper and secure good educations for their children.

Migrants, many of them Muslims, came about 25 years ago and took up low-paying jobs that locals were reluctant to do.

There were suspicions among locals that nepotism led to civil service positions being given to better connected migrants, Hari added.

"It is this jealousy that has become the tinderbox which was recently set ablaze," he said.

Hari said the local and central government should learn from the riots that they must always consider the public's wishes and not side with minority group interests in policy making.

The violence in the Spice Islands should serve to remind the country's leaders that changes must be made to the management of the nation's diverse religions, races and ethnic groups, he said.

He said that the policy of imposing the same policies and government structure across all regions should be abolished. Maluku, for instance, is more familiar with the rule of local kings rather than subdistrict chiefs.

Activists have also criticized the imposition of uniform local administrations in the midst of diverse cultural groups, saying this stifled the diversity.

While promoting such diversity would not be easy, Hari said that such efforts must begin with the amendment of the 1974 law on government administration in the regions.

A new draft law on regional autonomy and another on fiscal balances between the central government and the provinces has just been submitted to the legislature. But the draft law has been criticized for failing to address grievances from decades of power centralization.

Hari said the preliminary findings from the investigation into the Maluku riots would be discussed with other groups in society that had visited the region before making a formal recommendation to the President. (aan)