A Study Of 1998 May Riots In Indonesia

Since the 1997-1998 Asia Financial Crisis erupted,the Indonesia had suffered from the advance in price and the corruption of Government in the same time.In the March 1998 election of president,Suharto had elected by seventh times as the the leader of the country through black box operations which annoyed the public and the inner dissidents as well.On the May 5 1998,the government announced that the the price of Oil and gas would rise by 70%on the next day Morning,which shocked the whole country.Then the students in Medan held a protest in the campus,which resulting a conflict with the polices.At the same time,the riots break out in the city which the Chinese Indonesia consist of 12 percent of the people in the few days.Not just the government tokens was attacked,but the Chinese shops and commodities were ransacked.Simultaneously,numerous cities had witnessed the demonstrations of students and the conflicts between polices and students.Many students were sent to hospital,more people were wounded.On May 12,four students of the elite Trisakti University were shot dead during protests in Jakarta,triggering widespread riots,which the police stations,banks were destroyed and many buildings in commercial centers were looted by the mobs which most were owned by ethnic Chinese.Unfortunately,nearly 1200 poor pribumi died in the burning buildings and over 100 ethnic Chinese women were raped in the following days.Both of the tragedy were suspicious of being provoked by some organizations.The similar cases were happened in Surakarta including the protest,conflicts and the mass riots.The riots began with the conflicts between students and polices,and spread into the whole cities lack of army actions.When the riots erupted,many people supported the struggles,even ransacking the shops belong to the ethnic Chinese were taken for against the corrupt government.The local newspapers such as Kampus,Jakarta Post,focus on the mass violence and students demonstrations spread over the cites rather than the ethnic Chinese miserable sufferings which were reported by the overseas media.Besides,the Volunteer Team on Humanity(Tim Relawan Untuk Kemanusiaan)devoted themselves to the humanitarian aid from the begin,which shocked them the army might have schemed the riots.Not until one Month Later,the rapes of ethnic Chinese were showed the public which not just shocked the Indonesia but also the oversea countries.The shame rapes confirmed the thought that the riots were organized.The May riots left many thoughts and unresolved problems to the country.Why did the Chinese Indonesia were selected as the target in the violence besides the tokens of government?Why the violence spread into such large scale and the army forces and polices fail to stop the violence and to protect the property and the people?In the article,it will discuss the Indonesia violence culture which the country has witnessed series outburst of violence or riots swept through the whole archipelago,even the genocide occurred occasionally.Many people lost their lives.The nation riots has really increased since 1994,which is caused by the deepening of wealth gap and the dissatisfaction about the corrupt government.The Chinese Indonesia always have a vulnerable position in Indonesia.When the country faces a difficult situation,they often become the target of discrimination and riots.The ethnic groups always been taken as an outsider by the pribumi.The difference can been traced back to the Dutch colonial times.The ethnic group together with the Arabs and Indians as "Foreign Orientals",distinct from the Pribumi such as Javanese,Malays,Papuans and so on.The Chinese Indonesia were always contested about their loyalty and eligibility to the Country by others.As immigrants,ethnic Chinese were the colony's revenue and tax farmers,however,they were limited on their legal access to landowning,residence and education.Most of the groups were devoted to trade and commerce,and made a great success in wealth.During the last period of the Guided Democracy regime and the New Order Era,the government made discriminatory policies against the ethnic Chinese,especial the Soeharto government came up with many restrictions on education,civil service and culture.There are also increase in anti-Chinese sentiment among some Indonesia who ask for driving all "Alien" Chinese out.And yet,in the 1980s,the New Order government removed some restrictions and took the advantage of economically successful and skilled ethnic minority.As a result,the group played a important role in the success of nationally economic development.In 1994,according to a survey,the strongly economic group controlled more than half of the economy in GNP.Simultaneously,they were regarded as the parter of the venal administration by the ordinary.On the post-Soeharto time,the Indonesia has a good opportunity for reform.And the nation made a great success in the government and army.On the same time,the Chinese Indonesia have been struggled for recognition of their ethnic identity in post-Soeharto Indonesia and participated in the movements for changing their position in Indonesia society despite the fact that they still face many challenges.