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Handle youth with care during polls: Activists
Peace campaigners warned mobilizations of youth groups in the election campaign currently underway could lead to outbreaks of violence similar to recent violent protests by student groups in Jakarta
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Peace campaigners warned mobilizations of youth groups in the election campaign currently underway could lead to outbreaks of violence similar to recent violent protests by student groups in Jakarta.
A study by the Community Network for Peace (JMCD), supported by the United Nations Development Program, showed 246 incidents that led to casualties or death took place between January and April, with youths often the inciters or victims.
"Young people are a conduit for violence, and they tend to respond with acts of violence," Ichsan Malik, chairman of the Peace Building Institute, told a discussion on Friday.
Despite fears of possible conflicts, Indonesia saw relatively peaceful legislative and direct presidential elections in 2004.
The JMCD collected and analyzed data on conflicts from reports published in 46 local and national newspapers.
Ichsan said the trend of the conflicts this year was different from several years ago. He warned politically motivated conflicts would likely continue, with some 100 regional elections yet to be decided before the end of the year, and the general election in 2009.
He said political tensions, a feudal mentality, a culture of violence, widespread intolerance and ignorance of the law, as well as the absence of law enforcement in the event of conflicts, would trigger conflicts in the near future.
"We should be wary of the possible exploitation of youth groups during political campaigns, because they are the most easily manipulated and provoked," he warned.
Ichsan called on the government to respond to young people's demands and aspirations in a bid to prevent violence.
"The government's lack of response has sparked anger among the youth. Once violence takes hold, it perpetuates itself. This is what we witnessed recently in clashes between students and the police," he said.
Melina Nathan, head of the UNDP's crisis prevention and recovery unit, said small conflicts should not be ignored because they could lead to bigger ones.
"Prevention must start from smaller community units, such as schools, where children are taught that violence is not the answer to disagreements," Melina said, adding the UNDP had conducted several projects in local community units to educate children on peace.
She said the UNDP had asked participants in the program to map out what types of conflict could break out in their communities, and asked them to propose possible solutions to prevent the conflicts.
Speakers at the discussion also called for media accountability in reporting conflicts, to prevent them spiraling out of control.
"The media contributes the most to the perpetuation of violence, through repeated dissemination of text, sounds and images of violence," said Heru Hendratmoko, chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists.
Atmakusuma Astraatmadja, former chairman of the Indonesian Press Council, suggested the press focus on reports on political parties and their programs during the nine-month-long election campaign, rather than stories on individual candidates.
I-box Conflicts in Indonesia from January to April 2008
23 % - mob justice
18 % - conflicts related to politics
17 % - gang fights
13 % - conflicts over natural resources
11 % - conflicts over economic resources
11 % - others
4 % - conflicts related to religious and ethnic groups
3 % - conflicts related to state institutions
Total conflicts: 246 cases in 33 provinces
Source: The Community Network for Peace (JMCD)
