http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/editorial-indonesia-should-have-zero-tolerance-for-religious-violence/574669
Editorial: Indonesia Should Have Zero Tolerance for Religious Violence March 01, 2013 Religious-based violence has been a growing concern among Indonesians of all walks of life over the past few years. That concern was confirmed by the latest report by Human Rights Watch, which highlighted the issue as a major threat to social stability in the country. The report noted that a lack of government leadership and effective law enforcement is leading to an increase of religious violence in Indonesia and has rendered religious minorities vulnerable to attack. It added that dealing with such violence is not an impossible task. But nipping the problem in the bud is critical, for if it is allowed to fester, the government and society at large will be confronted with an uncontrollable problem. If religious-based violence spreads across the country, not only minorities but all Indonesians will be at risk. The HRW report highlights the recent rise in religious conflict with interviews with 71 victims of religious violence and by citing statistics from the Setara Institute, an Indonesia-based research and advocacy NGO. According to the study, there were 216 cases of violent attacks on religious minorities in 2010, 244 cases in 2011 and 264 cases in 2012. This sharp rise must be arrested immediately or we put our society at great risk. Dealing with the problem must start with recognition that it does pose a grave threat to social security. We therefore support the government’s zero tolerance toward violence of any form. But for the policy to be effective, it must be enforced by the police and local political leaders. The urgency in dealing with this issue cannot be stressed enough. If left unattended, it will destroy our society and impact our economy. And we must not wait for the next government to start ensuring that all communities in the country feel they can live in peace. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
