The Ujungpandang riots

The Ujungpandang riots

One might have thought, or hoped, that in the 52 years that
Indonesia has existed as an independent nation, this country
would at least have come close to reaching its ideal of becoming
a single unified nation, undivided by race, ethnicity or religion
-- an ideal that was publicly and explicitly promulgated in the
early years of our independence by our first vice president
Mohammad Hatta.

Of course, there is no denying that considerable progress has
been made in that direction, particularly on the level of inter-
personal relationships, where many of the old divisions have
become blurred or even disappeared altogether. Compare, for
instance, the present situation with that existing before
Indonesia became independent, when racial, social and ethnic
divisions were not only tolerated, but seemingly even encouraged
by the ruling colonial power under the old dictum of divide et
impera -- divide and rule.

Nevertheless, the ease with which a wrongdoing committed by
even a single person can trigger a community disturbance of
terrifying dimensions, directed against the offender's group as a
whole, provides a stark reminder that much still remains to be
done. The riots that have rocked the South Sulawesi provincial
capital of Ujungpandang during the past three days are a case in
point.

As press reports have it, the tempest was set off by rumors
that a local nine-year-old girl had been hacked to death by a
man, who was presumably of Chinese descent, and who appeared to
have been mentally disturbed. The man was reportedly bludgeoned
to death by an angry mob. Apparently not satisfied with having
taken their revenge against the supposed killer, the mob went on
to vent their anger by attacking houses and shops owned by ethnic
Chinese residents of the city.

As of yesterday, an uneasy calm had apparently descended over
the East Indonesian city, but the ugly trail of the past days of
violence was still clearly visible. At least four people had been
killed, 10 others were injured, a Chinese temple, eight houses
and eight entertainment centers lay in ruins and hundreds of
other buildings were damaged. In addition, 51 cars and 58
motorcycles had been either burned or otherwise damaged.

Though peace has been restored, it will take a considerable
amount of time to repair the damage that has been done during
this time of rampaging. The folly of the affair, of course, is
that the whole incident was sparked by what started as an
isolated, though admittedly tragic and senseless, event.

No one summed up the senselessness of the whole affair better
than Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, the Wirabuana Regional Military
Command chief overseeing Sulawesi. "It is not the murder of a
Moslem by a non-Moslem," he said. "It is not the murder of a
Makasarese by a person of Chinese descent. It is the murder of a
common person by an insane person."

Surely it will not be difficult even for the average
Indonesian to see and accept the rationality of Agum Gumelar's
line of reasoning, provided, of course, that emotional or
provocative factors are absent. It is also well to remember that
these latest Ujungpandang riots are only the latest in a series
that have jolted a number of cities throughout this country.

Our experience of the past months shows that the specter of
repression by force alone offers no guaranty for sustained
stability in the community. This, and the apparent excitability
of our community indicates that a more comprehensive approach --
including through education in the widest sense of the word -- is
in order.