Lancing the Boil

Indonesia is composed of more than 200 different ethnic groups spread across 13,000 islands, sharing five major religions. That it exists as a unified nation is something of a miracle. In some ways, the unity is artificial, imposed by Dutch colonizers who themselves did not subjugate all the islands until virtually the end of their rule. Indonesian independence leaders built on their legacy, creating national institutions such as a language, Bahasa Indonesia, and a creed of tolerance called Pancasila, enunciated by President Sukarno in 1945 as a philosophical basis for the republic. Almost inevitably, though, the chief unifier in such a diverse, far-flung land was -- and remains -- the armed forces. The government has long recognized their special role in national affairs.

The reasons for the recent disturbances are as multifarious as the country itself. Anti-Christian riots have erupted in Surabaya, Situbondo, Tasikmalaya and Rengasdengklok on Java. But East Timor, a Christian region, saw attacks against minority Muslim immigrants. Disturbances around the Freeport mine in Irian Jaya sometimes developed into riots by have-nots against the haves. And tensions stemming from Jakarta's transmigrasi policy, which resettles people from crowded islands to less populated ones, have also sparked outbursts. In West Kalimantan, hundreds were reportedly killed and thousands forced to flee their villages when Dayak tribesmen attacked migrants from the island of Madura. The army sent in 3,000 troops to fight tribesmen, and only recently patched together a fragile truce.

Tackling such disturbances effectively is as difficult as it is urgent. Calls for some areas, such as East Timor, to be closed to migrants are not the answer. After all, nationhood means that citizens should be able to move freely within their country's borders. Jakarta needs to find a way for people who are unhappy with the existing state of affairs to direct their dissatisfaction at the relevant issues. They must not make scapegoats of weaker or less numerous compatriots of different race or religion. That would be to put a spark to the biggest tinderbox of all -- as inhabitants of such multi-ethnic neighbors as Malaysia, Singapore, Mindanao, Sri Lanka and India will attest. At least one group is taking the right attitude. While calling for unity, a collection of Jakarta artists, academics and social activists have proposed a period of national reflection. They also urged the country's representative institutions to provide adequate channels of communication, so popular frustrations can be identified and defused before they erupt.

Tradition and law accords the Indonesian military a greater role -- and responsibility -- in society than most of its counterparts elsewhere. The army set up special command posts in a bid to detect and temper tensions before they flared into violence, but these "riot centers" failed to do so in Kalimantan. Compounding the problem is a certain arrogance on the part of both civil and military authorities, buttressed by a paternalistic culture that can make genuine dialogue with the people difficult. Highly revealing were recent comments by some legislators that they should not be expected to visit parts of the country lacking at least three-star accommodations.

Ultimately, the unrest is rooted in economic factors. In recent years, Indonesia has seen rapid but uneven development. The nomination this month of a child born in Lombok, east of Bali, as the nation's 200-millionth citizen brought the comment that it was about time eastern Indonesia won some recognition. While Java and Sumatra may have shot ahead as industrial centers, they are still plagued by widespread unemployment, which feeds unrest. The task of President Suharto's 30-year-old New Order government is now to spread the benefits of development more equitably so that all Indonesians can feel they are moving toward a better future.

For the moment, the disturbances do not seem to have undermined international confidence in Indonesia as a platform for investment. But if they continue, that may change. Prolonged unrest will undermine the nation's unity, preventing it from realizing its enormous potential. That will shake all Southeast Asia. Indonesia's leaders have little time to lose in defusing their country's festering tensions.