Religion and violence in the fall of Suharto and toward democratization;

Tri Harmaji
History of Religions in Indonesia Part II: from c. 1900 to the Present
Religion and violence in the fall of Suharto and toward democratization; Kevin O’Rourke, Reformasi, struggle for power in post-Suharto Indonesia, pg. 87-153 & Mary S. Zurbuchen, Beginning to remember- the past in the Indonesian present, pg. 38-74 & 150-168

In the time, before and after, of Suharto fall most big cities in Indonesia and especially Jakarta were colored by violence. The violence took place in many places and it cost much lives and material loss. But the question here is where religion is in this tragic scene? Did religion involve in this violence? Because the ruined facilities were not just economic or government facilities and building but also some religious facilities such as church buildings, religious involvement is believed to have prevailed in this scene. But from the readings, especially O,Rourke’s analysis about who behind the riot, it is clear that military was the most likely to have masterminding this riot. It is true that some religious figures like Amin Rais, Nucholis Majid and Gusdur were actively participate in the days of Suharto resignation. But it is almost clear also that their role in this scene can not be related to the violence happened in that very tension time. No religious motive was found in that chaotic time of the struggle to step down Suharto from his office. It is likely that the main cause of the people and students’ struggle was economic crisis caused by KKN the Suharto government practiced.

Suharto himself has done his best to defend his power. In his opinion, I perceive, he was a great leader of Indonesia who has brought prosperity to the country. Regardless that in his governance there were many human right abuse, corruption, environment destruction, foreign debt ect. he still thinks that there was much goodness also he has done for the country. It is why when firstly he signaled his willingness to resign in Egypt, he said that it was just because the people have no trust any more to him, then he will ‘make himself close to God’ and become pandito. It is characteristically Javanese religious word. Is really Suharto a religious person? If he is, how about especially mass killing he had done to PKI? In “beginning to remember” a dalang, Ki Trisuti Rachmadi, tells his experience as one victim of Suharto campaign against PKI. From his story I can imagine how suffer they were when they were put in the prison as well as after they were freed. After the fall of Suharto many people begun to bring this issue to the public, and so the badness of Suharto begun more and more apparent. But the question is back again, ‘do this action, killing PKI, contradict to religion?’ for the people now, the answer is clearly ‘Yes!’ but perhaps it was different from religious perspective at that time. Like we know, religious organization also actively played role in the killing, and so it was sure that there was a strong religious justification to the killing at that time.

Another violence interesting to me here is the ninja killing. This tragedy took place in east java shortly after the fall of Suharto, and the victims of this killing were mostly Islamic leaders affiliated to NU. Who are the ninja and who masterminding it? Some people accused Suharto who was taking revenge for his fall. And another opinion, especially from Hasyim, the killing must be performed by the communist who took revenge for what they experienced more that 30 years ago. Both opinions make sense. But on the other side this guess still leave other questions; if the ninja was the communist, why they did not take revenge to Suharto too as the most responsible person to the PKI killing at that time? Or if Suharto was behind this terror, why he just kills Islamic leaders? Is the main actor of his fall was student and perhaps military itself isn’t it?

All of the questions above perhaps can not be answered satisfactorily all the time. And perhaps we do not have to too focus on those questions in understanding the violence around the fall of Suharto. What is universally true is that the small people will always become the victims if two big people are fighting each other. “dua gajah berkelahi, pelanduk mati di tengahnya”.