Sectarian tendencies 'may linger'
JAKARTA (JP): Observers here warned that sectarian tendencies would likely linger as the political elite continued to jostle for power during the period of national transition.
Political scientist Daniel Sparingga of Surabaya's Airlangga University said symptoms of sectarian discord would persist until a power balance was reached between the political elite.
He said it was evident that "ideological identities" were now competing with each other -- Muslims, nationalists, social democrats and liberal democrats.
The fall of former president Soeharto ushered in a new era of openness which eventually saturated the political scene as ideologies and societal groups began competing with each other in an arena where restrictions had vanished.
"Indonesia's future has been in a critical situation since the downfall of former president Soeharto," Daniel said during a seminar jointly held by Kompas daily and the Friederich Ebert Stiftung foundation here on Friday.
He described sectarianism or communalism as a process of social and ideological division or competition based on specific ties, such as regions, religions, race and tribes.
However, the rivalry in Indonesia has reached such a level that is has seeped into violence.
"Violence, which easily spreads in society, shows the seriousness of the problems," he said.
According to Daniel, the state's role would likely be minimal in resolving these problems. Instead, society itself had to sort out its dilemma, particularly through recognized community and religious leaders.
He urged various elements within society, including the media and non-governmental organizations, to take initiatives in setting up dialogs on pluralism and egalitarianism as one method of curbing rising tensions.
The chairman of the Commission of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munir, remarked that political fragmentation was now occurring in the country as it went through the long tunnel of democratic transitional.
He warned of the dangers of the process which could sideline respect for human rights.
"Political fragmentation sometimes halts the process of upholding human rights," Munir said during the seminar.
He gave a slightly different assessment of the various competing ideologies, saying that politics was fragmented by groups representing socialists, nationalists, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Masyumi.
Since the fall of Soeharto on May 21, 1998, Indonesia has seen a wave of sectarian violence, unprecedented in the last three decades.
Apart from growing regionalist tendencies to separate, like in Aceh, ethnic and religious clashes have also swept Maluku for over a year, claiming the lives of over 2,000 people.
The Maluku violence has in turn sparked a wave of religious radicalism, with calls for a holy way being voiced by some segments of society.
The latest outburst occurred on Lombok island, where over a dozen churches were either torched or damaged.
Political observer Mochtar Pabottingi charged that many of the problems faced today were vented out of frustration or a spillover from the repressive policies during the 32-year rule of Soeharto.
Mochtar even expressed his belief that the ailing former president was behind many of the tribulations occurring today. At the very least, his close circle of associates was behind the sectarian disputes and clashes, Mochtar remarked, while identifying a former leading "youth" organization figure as being the mastermind behind clashes and separatist activities in Irian Jaya. (jun)