Why the violence?

Why the violence?

Before we go any further, this must be said: The Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle attack -- or, to put it more
accurately, the attack by hundreds of people wearing the familiar
red-and-black attributes of PDI Perjuangan -- against visiting
Golkar functionaries and local supporters in Purbalingga, Central
Java, was an act of violence that cannot be condoned.

Hundreds of supporters, some already gathered and many still
on their way to a local soccer stadium where Golkar was to hold a
political education gathering, were harassed during the incident
on Friday. Akbar Tanjung, the party's general chairman who is
also minister/state secretary in President B.J. Habibie's
Cabinet, was trapped in the melee. He escaped unharmed after his
retinue was escorted from the scene by police personnel, although
his van was damaged. A truck filled with Golkar security men was
overturned and set ablaze by the mob.

But as bad as the stone-throwing, the willful destruction of
property and the acts of vandalism were, much more deplorable was
the act of forcing people, including women, to take off in public
their yellow Golkar shirts and attributes. Little wonder that the
incident caused an immediate public outcry that reverberated far
beyond the borders of Purbalingga, something Golkar and other PDI
Perjuangan antagonists were quick to exploit. To make matters
worse for all concerned and not least for Golkar, dozens of
trucks carrying Golkar supporters from Probolinggo, East Java,
were stopped and the occupants harassed on their way to a rally
in Surabaya on Sunday. Once again, the offenders were wearing PDI
Perjuangan colors and attributes.

Upset and humiliated, Akbar Tanjung can hardly be blamed for
calling the violence "inhumane and antidemocratic", and for
stating that "some political parties" were "not ready for
democracy". That said, it must be noted in the same breath that
his reaction and that of his party to events of recent days was
not much better.

In his speech at the rally in Surabaya, Akbar indicated to
thousands who made it to the gathering that Golkar might
retaliate in kind if pushed, although it preferred to pursue the
legal course for the moment. "It is not that we are afraid. We
love peace. Golkar loves unity. But if this (violence) continues,
we shall rise. We shall rise against evil forces," he warned.

At this point, it is appropriate to remind Golkar of the
wisdom of listening to critics, especially in the wake of the
most recent incidents. A relevant question has been voiced by
Abdurrahman Wahid, the respected leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama
organization: Why has all the harassment been directed at Golkar
only, and not at other parties? The answer which immediately
comes to mind is that it is derived from the many grievances
against Golkar -- a conspicuous pillar of the now generally
reviled New Order regime -- which remain in our society.

And PDI Perjuangan for decades suffered agonizingly under the
repressive policies of Soeharto's New Order, whose key
policymakers -- without exception and including officers of the
Armed Forces -- were Golkar cadres. Under the circumstances, it
would seem that if Golkar expects PDI Perjuangan under Megawati
Soekarnoputri to apologize for the recent incidents, then it
would follow that the latter has the right to demand the same
from Golkar for the New Order's repressive and partial policies
of the past. Fair is fair.

True enough, Golkar has been endeavoring lately to convince
the Indonesian public that it has repented, and that the "New
Golkar" that exists today is as much a champion of democracy as
any of the newly formed political parties contesting the upcoming
general election.

Unfortunately, the party's claims have not been supported by
actions. One example is its headstrong insistence on allowing
Cabinet ministers to campaign. While such a practice may be
common in established democracies, surely Golkar's leaders are
well aware that doing so in a paternalistic, traditional society
like Indonesia would give it an unfair advantage over other
parties, especially with its three-decade-long stranglehold on
the bureaucracy.

What all this amounts to is that the hope for a peaceful, fair
and democratic general election seems to be moving further away
from us even as the date of the polls nears. The best we can hope
for under the circumstances is that the spirit of accord and
unity that was born and demonstrated in Yogyakarta over the
weekend in a "peace parade", organized jointly by some 30
political parties, may spread across the nation to assure a
better tomorrow for present and future generations of
Indonesians.