Soeharto warns societal issues could spark unrest

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto warned the nation yesterday that religious, ethnic and societal issues were volatile subjects that could easily spark social unrest in times of severe economic crisis.

Speaking to Protestant leaders, the President said he expected all religious leaders to jointly defuse the threat and prioritize efforts to promote the nation's unity and integrity.

"He advised us as the representatives of Christians to remain vigilant against anything which could trigger SARA problems," the chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches, Soelarso Soepater, said after meeting with Soeharto at his Jl. Cendana residence in Central Jakarta.

SARA stands for Suku (tribal affiliations), Agama (religion), Ras (race), and Antar golongan (societal group).

The government has tirelessly campaigned for harmonious relations between different religions and societal groups. The Constitution also guarantees freedom of religion.

But tension arising from these issues remains a continued source of social discord in a country made up of hundreds of ethnic groups.

Islam is the majority religion here; Moslems comprise 88 percent of the population. Christians make up about 8 percent, Hindus and Buddhists comprise 2 percent and 0.9 percent respectively.

Observers have expressed fears that in the current economic turmoil, with millions of Indonesians expected to lose their jobs, could be a trigger for widespread social unrest.

"Our nation may face a great difficulty and the nation's unity could be destroyed if it is neglected," Soelarso quoted the President as saying.

During the meeting Soelarso was accompanied by Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, the chairman of the Indonesian Baptist Church Community, Sentot, and the chairman of the Indonesian Pentecostal Church Council, Samuel Budi, and other church leaders.

To demonstrate their support for the cash-strapped government, the church leaders presented two kilograms of gold and about Rp 5.1 million (US$510) to the President.

Soelarso said the donation was collected from worshipers across the country. He also informed Soeharto that Protestant churches had said a special prayer for Soeharto's health and the nation's welfare.

"We told the President that in such a difficult situation like this, there are no differences between religions as we face the same problems," Soelarso said. (prb)