Stability a must

Stability a must

Ending the violence in various regions of this country must be the first priority of the current government of President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. This is of the utmost importance in order to prevent the unrest from spreading to even more areas. If this were to happen and other regions, even Jakarta, were swept up into the violence, the unrest would be most difficult for the security apparatus and the government to control.

There is all the more reason for us to be concerned because the seemingly never-ending cycle of violence could easily lead to public and political instability. It is this kind of instability that destroyed Indonesia's credibility in the eyes of the world in the aftermath of the crisis in 1997.

Stability in every field of life is at present most urgently needed to restore international confidence in this country. Stability would effectively entice investors to come back to Indonesia, which would help this country rebuild its economy.

Once again, therefore, we urge the government to end the unrest in the regions. Catch and try any provocateurs who are proved to be operating in the troubled provinces.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta