The West Kalimantan unrest, its roots and solution

The West Kalimantan unrest, its roots and solution

By R. Masri Sareb Putra

JAKARTA (JP): The incident of Sanggau Ledo in West Kalimantan
is unique and therefore a source of interest to many observers.

Different from the Situbondo, Tasikmalaya and Rengasdengklok
riots, the Sanggau Ledo unrest, which started at the end of 1996
and continued into February of this year, is extremely difficult
to analyze and is giving investigators a hard time. What spawned
the unrest?

If we understood the background and history leading to the
incident, we may find it possible to endeavor an explanation.

The conflict actually stemmed from excesses in development.
The past decade saw an increase in the local population's gross
domestic product from Rp 3.2 million in 1986 to Rp 4.6 million in
1991 based on constant prices in 1983. The other side of the coin
was that poverty struck certain places. The result was the
emergence of social envy.

In the past two decades, ethnic conflicts occurred eight times
in the province. The reasons for the conflicts were very slight.
Unrest broke out because one ethnic group felt offended. The
incidents were not immediately settled and therefore were allowed
to grow into open conflict.

The unrest in Sanggau Ledo was triggered in such a way. It
started with a Madurese making a crude remark to a Dayak woman.
This triggered anger between the two ethnic groups and resulted
in the stabbing of two Dayaks.

Security forces should also be held responsible for the
massive unrest because they did not immediately settle the
incident.

When the Sanggau Ledo incident grew into clashes of
considerable proportions, the authorities realized too late that
they had made a fatal error. They belittled the people and hurt
their feelings. The price of this was high. They should pick the
fruit from this valuable lesson.

Army Chief Gen. Hartono has often said implicitly that the
West Kalimantan conflict was never unrest sparked by ethnic
groups (Dayak and Madura). It was caused by many things, the
solution for which should involve many ministries and many
parties.

What does this mean? Should the settlement of the case involve
the ministries of transmigration, forestry, communications,
social affairs and religious affairs, the National Development
Planning Board, the House of Representatives, NGOs and local
social figures?

Social problems became a crucial issue at the time West
Kalimantan was opened to outsiders in 1991, when a legal entry
point was built in Entekong which connected Pontianak and Kuching
by land. Consequently cultural clashes among many ethnic groups
could not be avoided and the indigenous population underwent
cultural shock.

The vast Kalimantan forests contain enormous wealth which
attracts investors and entrepreneurs to obtain exploitation
rights. With a territory surface of 146,700 square kilometers,
West Kalimantan possesses 6.39 percent of Indonesia's forest
area.

In the past five years felling of trees in West Kalimantan has
reached disproportionate dimensions. Mutual expropriation of land
is common fare among exploitation rights holders, thereby making
victims of the local population. While the outsiders feverishly
felled trees, the local people were branded as thieves when they
cut down just one tree for household use. Is this not a portrait
of injustice?

The Ministry of Religious Affairs can join local religious
leaders (clergymen and kyai) in building a common awareness among
local inhabitants in saying that Pancasila is the only principle
and tool for unity. Attitudes of tolerance, restraint in showing
off wealth, refraining from proselytizing people who belong to
another religions, are things which strongly need to be developed
in this equatorial region.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy also needs to join in the
search for a solution to the West Kalimantan unrest, because in
fact what opened the door ever wider for the incidents in West
Kalimantan is the offense and anger felt by the local population.
They did not get sufficient compensation for their land in the
vicinity of the Monterado gold mining project. Not many people
know that a protest took place in early 1996, launched by local
landowners and workers of the Monterado gold mines, who took the
law into their own hands against the foreign company managing the
gold mines.

If only all sides managing the central gold mines in Sanggau
Ledo learned from history, the uprising need not have taken
place. History shows that the Ledo mines have always harbored
conflict. From the Dutch Indies colonial times the locality has
been a place of contention and sowed the seeds for mass fights.
From that time on the place has been a "gold center" and until
the early days of independence there were still many trading
groups which eventually perished as a result of fighting.

No less important is the part played by the transmigration
ministry. The Dayak community of West Kalimantan residing in
Greater Jakarta stated on Feb. 14, 1997 that transmigration
should be managed more wisely. The lack of judgment in placing
transmigrants, as has been the case so far, is admittedly one of
the causes of unrest in West Kalimantan. The local inhabitants
feel their existence is threatened by transmigrants, they feel
marginalized by land ownership and the facilities obtained by the
newcomers.

Compared to other outbreaks, the unrest in West Kalimantan
demanded the highest number of victims, both in lives and
property. From the aspect of time, the conflict lasted so long
that it nearly paralyzed the local economy.

Fortunately there are encouraging signs of peace attempts by
various sides, especially by the contending two ethnic groups.
The consequences of the unrest are still being felt. If the
problems are not handled in an integrated and professional way,
disaster will certainly strike the province. Now the supply of
the nine essential food commodities from outside Kalimantan and
from abroad like Sarawak and Malaysia are scarce. Prices have
automatically rocketed.

It is fortunate that many sides have tried to mediate in
solving the conflict between the two ethnic groups. This is good
so long as it is all done in the context of justice. But the
right thing to do would be for the two disputing ethnic groups to
arrive at a solution themselves.

The potential for conflict may be found everywhere, but we
were surprised the West Kalimantan incident became so worrisome.
It is really hard to explain.

The most precious lesson to be derived from the incident is
that in development the local community should not be made
lookers-on.

R. Masri Sareb Putra is an observer of ethnological and
sociocultural matters. He hails from West Kalimantan and now
lives in Jakarta.