What lies behind mob violence

What lies behind mob violence

By Solita Sarwono

WASENAAR, The Netherlands (JP): In the late 1960s following
the attempted coup in Indonesia, nobody wanted to be accused of
being a member of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), as such
allegations would mean death.

Thousands of people were condemned to death without being
tried; executed by an angry and paranoid public. One could just
point a finger to a person and shout "PKI!", and everyone would
immediately attack and beat that person to death. Many of those
accused were innocent. The accusations were often based on hatred
and personal vendettas.

Thirty-five years later the same phenomenon has returned.
Public paranoia and anger has led to mass aggression and
violence. Angry crowds attack, beat and burn people to death.

The difference lies in the type of accusation: it is no longer
shouting of "PKI", but "Copet!" (pickpocket) which triggers this
madness.

Police reports show that from January to June in Greater
Jakarta alone there have been about 140 people killed by this
mass fury. They were all accused, but not yet proven guilty, of
petty thefts, such as stealing two chickens, holding up bus
passengers, trying to steal a motorcycle, or even stealing two
bags of red chili peppers, a plate and a dish. More victims of
vigilantism are feared.

Unlike riots at demonstrations, this mass violence is very
difficult to control. The police or other security officers have
no power to stop it, fearing they might in turn become targets of
aggression by angry crowds. Bystanders also watch the victims
scream, cry for help and die, or simply leave the scene.

The question which has so often been asked is, has the image
of our friendly, soft, polite, civilized and kindhearted people
been simply a myth, or a cover-up for our underlying beast-like
behavior?

The mass killings have occurred more often in urban areas. The
players have been those from among the lower-middle class; many
of whom are poor or unemployed. Living in the city, these people
are constantly confronted with contrasting wealth and lifestyles.

Who does not want a happy and comfortable life? Who does not
want to enjoy delicious meals, dress nicely, have a big house and
beautiful car? Parents pray that their children will be blessed
with an easy life, prosperity and good health. So when people do
not get the things they have prayed for or worked for, they get
frustrated.

The frustration grows as they see themselves being treated
unjustly -- by getting laid off during the monetary crisis, for
example, while their bosses, who do nothing more than lobby the
authorities, continue taking the public's money and maintain a
jet-setting lifestyle. People stealing a bike are arrested and
sentenced to jail, while the big corruptors go unpunished and
continue to live lavishly.

People also get frustrated when they cannot express their
opinions and feelings, and when they are blamed for making a
mistake without being given a chance to explain or defend
themselves.

Civilization, tradition and culture teaches one to control
one's behavior. Everyone has to learn to behave in a socially
acceptable way. In Indonesia, frustration had to be repressed all
this time for the sake of maintaining harmony and peace with
others to keep an image of being "civilized" people.

As frustration grows within an individual, however, it seeks
an outlet or a valve. Frustration can be expressed in different
forms, varying from criticism, protest to aggression. The target
of frustration is usually a person or object which has weaker
power or a lower position than the frustrated person.

A manager scolds his employee, who will go home and shout at
his wife. The wife will then get angry with the son, who in turn
will kick the maid. The less power and the lower a position a
person has, the more his/her chance is to be made a victim of
this aggression, which explains the physical abuse often
experienced by domestic workers or servants.

At the individual level, such aggression may still be bearable
and tolerable. But frustration can be shared by many individuals
with common ground, such as a group of unemployed workers.
Shared frustration, repressed for years, leads to collective
aggression, including in the form of mass killings.

Individuals involved in such collective aggression will likely
forget about all the rules and codes of good conduct and
civilized behavior. All they have in mind is letting out their
long-repressed frustrations and emotions on the target(s) of
anger. When everything has cooled down, they may, or may not
regret, their actions. But the damage has been done. The victim
is dead.

Social jealousy, increased poverty and unemployment, repressed
frustration, lack of freedom of speech, as well as a lack of
justice and little trust in the law and judiciary, are oft-cited
as the underlying causes of aggressive behavior.

Despite the unequal distribution of wealth and resources, the
less privileged have shared a small piece of the cake and enjoyed
a somewhat better life.

Now what little comfort there has suddenly been taken away in
the crisis. Many who have lost jobs are forced to sell their
property, reduce their food intake and other expenses and the
most hard hit are the poor.

Many have also witnessed and experienced how the judicial
system has been severely biased by money. People have lost trust
in the judiciary and in law enforcement officers.

Now freedom of speech, reflected in freedom of the press, as
seen by the hundreds of new tabloids and newspapers at
newsstands, has led to the exposure of formerly taboo subjects,
and has created some confusion.

This freedom of speech is not supported with a clear
explanation about the methods and channels to use to express
one's opinion. People want to voice their opinion but they do not
know how or who they need to talk to. How can they know the right
way when all their lives they were not allowed to voice
criticism? Report or complain to the police? From experience,
they have learned this does not work.

So people go parading in the street, joining the many
demonstrations. When they face the authorities who aim to restore
public order, many protesters become angry and violent.

They fight the authorities or take over places that resemble
the establishment and the rich, such as the legislature
buildings, shopping centers and so forth. And when people are not
able to direct their frustrations at authorities, they aim their
aggression at the weak and poor, and petty criminals.

Democracy needs order and regulations. Otherwise it will lead
to anarchy. Freedom of speech needs to be supported with means
and channels, e.g. institutions or non-governmental organizations
where people can file complaints or discuss matters that they
think disturbs public life. In turn these institutions can
forward these complaints to the right persons/organizations and
bring changes according to the wishes of the people.

The government, if it is serious in bringing about democracy,
should continue to help provide these means to regain trust from
the people and show sincere and serious efforts in upholding the
law. Otherwise mass violence and anarchy will continue.

The writer is a psychologist and sociologist residing in the
Netherlands.