Scholars warn of imminent upheaval if injustices persist

Scholars warn of imminent upheaval if injustices persist

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted scholars warned the government on Wednesday of social
upheaval that could explode at any time as people were fed up to
the teeth with rampant injustices.

They said the recent increase in utility prices and the
amnesties offered to notorious business tycoons were the most
conspicuous examples of government policies that had hurt the
public sense of justice.

Th. Sumartana of the Indonesian Interfaith Dialog Institute
(Interfidei), Masykuri Abdillah of the Syarif Hidayatullah State
Islamic University (UIN), and Franz Magnis Suseno of the
Driyarkara Institute of Philosophy were among those speaking out.

"Brutal action as a result of frustration over injustices is
like a genie waiting to emerge from the bottle," Sumartana, the
director of Interfidei, told a seminar on religion, democracy and
minority groups on Wednesday.

He said that the people expressed their disappointment through
street rallies as the legal institutions were unable to uphold
justice and no political institution was able to offer a solution
to the current crisis.

"The ongoing antigovernment rallies could signal such
frustration and this could lead to social upheaval," he told the
Jakarta Post.

Masykuri and Sumartana called for a continuous dialog between
religious leaders and politicians to draw up the necessary
national agendas to resolve the current problems.

"Communication is the key to resolving the nation's problems,"
Masykuri told the Post.

Sumartana said the government must also be able to uphold
justice and the supremacy of law by reforming the country's legal
system.

Magnis called on the government to declare a war on corruption
and severely punish those guilty of corruption. "If they do this,
I think a lot of the sense of frustration will dissipate," he
said.

The wave of antigovernment protests, which has been ongoing
for almost three weeks now, continued on Wednesday as some 700
students staged a rally near the residence of President Megawati
Sukarnoputri. The protesters urged her to resign for failing to
stamp out corruption.

The students, who claimed to represent the University of
Indonesia's Student Executive Board (BEM-UI), attempted to reach
Megawati's residence in the upmarket Menteng area, but to no
avail due to a security cordon imposed by hundreds of riot police
armed with rifles and backed up by water cannons, AFP reported,

"Reject the government of Megawati and (vice president) Hamzah
Haz!" they shouted.

"Today Indonesia's debt is growing even bigger and the people
will have to bear the burden while corruptors have been given
amnesties," the protesters said in a written statement.

International donors grouped under the Consultative Group on
Indonesia agreed Wednesday to extend US$2.7 billion in aid to
Indonesia this year to help it meet its budget deficit.

Megawati has been criticized for issuing a decree which rules
out criminal charges against former bank owners who have finally
settled their huge debts to the state.

There have been daily street protests against Megawati's 18-
month administration following the government's New Year decision
to raise fuel prices and utility charges.

The government has reduced the steep rises in electricity and
fuel prices and delayed a hike in phone charges, but the
protesters said the move would not deter them from seeking
Megawati's resignation.

The protesters also called for the cancellation of the
privatization drive, and for the prosecution of corrupt officials
and businessmen.

Megawati, in a speech addressed to her party supporters late
Tuesday, challenged her political opponents to compete fairly in
the 2004 presidential election instead of seeking her resignation
now.