Sectarian conflict real threat to unity: Edi

SEMARANG (JP): Social problems generated from ethnic, religious and inter-group conflict are becoming a real threat to the nation's unity, Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret) Edi Sudrajat warns.

Edi said the increasing coverage in the mass media on worries about the ongoing sectarian trend shows that the threat is no longer an illusion.

"It will be wrong to think that the issue is fabricated by the ABRI (Armed Forces)," Edi said when addressing a congress of the Association of Indigenous Entrepreneurs (HIPPI) on Monday night.

The minister said that issues related to ethnicity, religion and social groups remain highly sensitive in Indonesia.

"It is indeed inconvenient to openly discuss the issues but the problem will linger as long as we do not try to resolve it," he told about 400 participants of the congress.

Edi's warning on similar dangers was the second he made over the past week. Earlier last week, he said that bankers' favoritism of wealthy ethnic Chinese businessmen, in issuance of credit, may worsen social envy.

In a country of 185 million people, where the gulf between the rich and the poor is widening, the dominant role of ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in economy is increasingly under scrutiny.

On Monday, HIPPI supervisory board chairman Probosutedjo charged in the congress that Indonesia's entrepreneurs of foreign descent are "less nationalistic", for instance they often threaten to shift their investment overseas if they are not given privileges at home.

Edi stressed on Monday on the need to strengthen national unity, so that the nation will be strong enough to repulse problems which may have disintegrative impacts.

He pointed out that one way to improve national stability is to strengthen the economic resilience.

He said that Indonesia should work hard to make its economy solid enough to face the negative impact of the oncoming world trade liberalization.

Indonesia means to develop an economic system in which the weak can survive because the strong businesses cannot take it all, like one which is commonly practiced in the West.

"To achieve the goal, Indonesian businesses should always have in mind things like equal distribution of state wealth, economic disparity and social envy. In other words, economic development and empowerment of the poor should go hand in hand," Edi said.

The minister also urged HIPPI members to become independent and not rely on facilities from the government. "A true entrepreneur is characterized by his ability to grab a business opportunity and never take the shortcut by trampling on business ethics and violating laws."

He acknowledged that small-scale entrepreneurs will be difficult to grow if the economy is still dominated by a certain group and if legal uncertainty prevails.

The government should also play a more active role in creating a condition conducive for all businesses to grow on equal footing, he said. Bureaucrats should ease administrative procedures often seen as a barrier to business development.

Edi also called on the public not to politicize the raging debate on the businesses of government officials' offsprings.

"The debate should be interpreted as a reflection of people's wish to create equal business opportunities for all," he said.

The debate on the business interests of government officials' was started recently by members of the House of Representatives, who want clear-cut regulations on that particular issue.

Critics say that officials' children's lack professionalism in doing their business and rely on government facilities at the cost of "ordinary" entrepreneurs.

Others say that there is nothing wrong with officials' children doing business as long as they do not abuse their parents' power. (har/pan)