Economic & Business Review Indonesia April 30, 1997 Roots of the riots Muslim leader attributes latest riots to people's satiation of varied forms of partisan interests and the government's declining dignity Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), maintained that the recent flare-up of riots across the country were the result of a situation where the people have been fed up with various matters which are motivated by partisan rather than common interests. "These partisan interests have relegated the interests of the people to second fiddle," Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, told the Jakarta-based daily Kompas. The culture of violence has become the topic of discussion among the people following the series of recent riots in Java and Kalimantan. Gus Dur holds the three sociopolitical forces contesting the 1997 general election the United Development Party (PPP), ruling Golkar, and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), guilty of giving priority to their respective partisan interests. "On the other hand, the people now are seeking to committ themselves to a greater context to pursue common interests," Gus Dur said. Relationship Meanwhile, in a recent interview with the Jakarta Post, Gus Dur said that there is always a reciprocal relationship between violence and the government's self-esteem. Violence, according to Gus Dur, reflects a government's respectability. If a government is respected, it will win people's trust. If people trust the government, they will leave all the problems, disputes, or conflicts they are facing to the government. "Thus, no one will take the law into their own hands nor take their dissatisfaction to the street. But violence will automatically come to the fore when the government loses its respectability," Gus Dur noted. He pointed out further that if violence occurs, there must be problems between the people and the government. The cause of the problems between the two parties itself could be anything. "It could be internal, like conflicts among particular government officials or external when the people are dissatisfied with some government policies," he said. Improper acts Gus Dur asserted that the Indonesian government respectability has been declining because there are too many confusing policies and improper acts by some top government officials. "There is almost no common perception of government policies and this has made their implementation confusing. When these policies are still in the form of guidelines, the common perception may still be there. But, once these guidelines have been broken down, different officials may have different interpretations," Gus Dur said. To be fair, however, Gus Dur mentioned that there is also something wrong with the community when a government loses its respectability. "The community is reluctant to examine or evaluate things thoroughly and carefully. They are easily swayed by any issue. "This is one example of the mistakes the community has made which has led them to the present situation," Gus Dur said.