Sabtu, Juli 26, 2008

MULTIETHNIC CONFLICT

MULTIETHNIC CONFLICT IN WEST KALIMANTAN


by : MR Alhindy

As a nation with multiethnic, Indonesia has potency of conflict. From perspective of intercultural communications, inter-ethnic conflict can initiate from cultural identity differences which communicated ethnocentrism. The social conflict apparently rather was difficult to be separated from the dynamism of the life of the Kalimantan community. After that, the dispute between-ethnic groups happened again in Sambas, then was followed in the Pontianak City, and finally in Sampit and spread to all the territories in Central Kalimantan.

The native of West Kalimantan were the Dayak Ethnic Group who lived as farmers and fishermen were defferent from the origin of their ethnic group. The other ethnic groups that also entered the Kalimantan were from Malay, Chines, Madurese, Bugis, Minang, Batak, and Javanes.
In daily communication these heterogeneous inhabitants use Indonesian or Malay as the colloquial language. But, because of the low level of their educational background, most of them used their own regional language. Therefore, misunderstanding often occurred among them. At first, if Madurese spoke with the people of Dayak, the style of Madurese language was perceived by the Dayak people as arrogant and coarse.

Cultural differences can lead to the cause of the emergence of a conflict to the community from different social ethnic group culture. The conflict between Dayak and Madura happened in the end of 1996, that is the occurrence of the Sanggau Ledo case, the Bengkayang Regency (before mid 1999 including the Sambas Regency), in West Kalimantan.

Two major conflicts have occurred in West Kalimantan within the last nine years. In 1996-1997, Dayak waged a “ritual war” against Madurese communities, following a fight in Sanggau Ledo, West Kalimantan, between Madurese and Dayak youths during which two Dayak were stabbed. The Dayak burned houses and killed their inhabitants. In some cases, they severed the heads of their victims and ate their livers, in a revival of a traditional Dayak method of revenge. Human Rights Watch reports that around 500 people, mostly Madurese, were killed and about 20,000 were evacuated.

After the fall of the Suharto regime in 1999, violence broke out again, this time in the area of Sambas, West Kalimantan. During 1999-2000, this area witnessed some of Indonesia's most vicious ethnic killings. There were a reported 186 killed, although unofficial estimates are much higher, during clashes between Dayak and Madurese, causing the Madurese community to escape. By the year 2000, the number of Madurese refugees in West Kalimantan exceeded 50,000.

The conflict between 3 ethnic group in West Kalimantan (Dayak and Malay versus Madura) reached it’s peak during 1999 and 2000. The thousands of people were killed cruelly; property and proprietary rights were destroyed or burnt, plundered or damaged and hundreds of thousands of people souls from ethnic Madura now live as refugees in various places in Singkawang, Pontianak, Surabaya and the Madura Island. Consequently the government must provide billion rupiahs for helping their life, and must face the political pressure in connection with rumours of these refugees.

Madurese who fled the fighting in West Kalimantan are still living as refugees in West Kalimantan, East Java and Madura Island and it appears they will not be able to return to their homes anytime soon. It is notclear where or when they will be relocated. 40,000 of the approximately 60,000 refugees who fled Sambas in 1999 are still living in temporary camps in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan. Refugees are living in makeshift barracks and public buildings, including sports centers. Incidents of violence have occasionally broken out between the refugees and Dayak and Malay residents of Pontianak. As of September 2001, the government had relocated around 7,000 families to the resettlement areas of Sei Asam and Tebang Kacang (about 30 miles south of Pontianak), following threats from Dayak of further bloodshed.

Now, the problem of these refugees hasn’t still been resolved yet. In the locations, there are of the disturbances personally, especially in the Sambas Regency (the ethnic majority Malay) and the Bengkayang Regency (Dayak), the situation has indeed been peaceful and restrained, without ethnic Madura completely. Some Madurese who tried to return home Kalimantan to visit their house or garden; evidently they did not come back. Might be they were killed by Dayak and Malay. The community in two areas, stated that they did not want to have Madurese again in their area up until 25 years in the future.

The conflict between ethnic Dayak and Madura in West Kalimantan, has been a chronic sign since the 1930 's. In the year 1999-2000, the conflict even spread to weaken ethnic groups and his impact was not yet resolved until now even it is until 25 years in the future the refusal ethnic Madura still continus. It is hoped that the change the pattern of education and the development of the area could change the thought and motivation of ethnic Dayak and Malay as indigenous people and refined ethnic Madura as the immigrants.