1 October

There is nothing more terrifying than the story of tear gas and the huge number of victims of the Kanjuruhan tragedy, 1 October 2022. The most terrifying thing: the tragedy could have been avoided.

SALOMO TOBING

Ariel Heryanto

Until now, various detailed studies have not found the reason why tear gas was fired indiscriminately into the spectator stands.

It is not just that tear gas is banned there. What is even more heartbreaking is there was no emergency situation that called for even one of those forbidden shots. There were no fights between fans. There was no mass attack that threatened the lives of players or officials.

Not all state violence can be justified even if the impact brings benefits to the state or the general public. There is violence that cannot be justified because the level is excessive. Moreover, violence that is random or indiscriminate, namely violence that is done without reason, purpose, or profit for the perpetrators or anyone else.

How much profit did the parties behind the killing of Udin, Marsinah or Munir seek? Has the legal process been maximized to provide justice for all these cases? Could the New Order not rise without the massacre of almost a million children of the nation, after Soeharto defeated the G30S on 1 October 1965?

In mid-May 1998, Jakarta was burned by the explosion of ammunition that is common on battlefields. Looting and mass rape were rampant for 48 hours without any resistance from the authorities. Were there major advantages that some of the country's elite sought or gained? If so, how vile. If not, how terrible the random violence was!

We are forced to make peace with various dangers that we cannot conquer, such as Covid-19, corruption and impunity.

Random acts of violence, or without reason commensurate with the foreseeable consequences, can occur even repeatedly if conditions allow. For example, if there are parties who enjoy impunity. They feel that they are above the law, so they do not have to worry about legal sanctions. Even if they are tried, they believe they will be released. If they are pressed by mass pressure or international pressure, they just apologize. If necessary, some small people are sacrificed as individuals.

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We are forced to make peace with various dangers that we cannot conquer, such as Covid-19, corruption and impunity. The Kanjuruhan tragedy might not have happened, or it would have been less severe, if the various cases of violence surrounding previous soccer matches were thoroughly investigated. The old cases themselves would not be repeated if other serious atrocities outside of soccer had been dealt with firmly, fairly and legally.

The tragedy of 1 October 2022 in Kanjuruhan tested law enforcement and the nation's patience. The initial steps of the government and a number of private institutions are worthy of respect. Hopefully the case is thoroughly investigated and the guilty are punished accordingly.

The key to Indonesia's future glory lies in radical reforms in the fields of law and education.

However, the losses of the survivors and the families of the victims are not repaid by any amount of compensation. The resolution of that one case also does not eradicate the root cause of the rampant acts of violence. The Kanjuruhan tragedy is not a single case that is separated from the history of national violence.

The key to Indonesia's future glory lies in radical reforms in the fields of law and education. Education opens wide opportunities for the creative growth of the nation's children. The law seals off our destructive opportunities and talents as much as possible.

Education takes place not only in schools. The law does not materialize as a courtroom. Both are experienced by citizens in various spaces and in different ways, including daily life at home, at work, as well as on a soccer field.

Overhauling the law and education is not easy. Long-term cooperation among parties is needed, in addition to large funds. Funds are not a big problem for Indonesia. Compared with many other countries, Indonesia is relatively prosperous even though the prosperity is not evenly distributed. What is even more difficult to hope for is a shared commitment to radical improvements in law and education.

Wherever the law tends to be biased in favor of the elites there is no incentive for them to radically overhaul it because it would be "suicidal" politically and economically. The elites have the greatest opportunity for, but not the greatest interest in long-term national education investment.

Brilliant education in many countries is hard work whose results can only be enjoyed a few generations later. Such policies require forward-looking statesmen. Such figures can be born from the demands of the majority of voters in an election, which is connected with support, monitoring, and evaluation from independent institutions after the election.

It is difficult to expect future-oriented policies if public debate is centered on the personalities of individual politicians, their religion, or their ethnicity. Let alone in every change of government there is a change in the policy of its predecessor. If the ambitions of state officials are centered on short-term achievements according to the demands of society for instant results from every government.

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Comparing the achievements of one government with its predecessors in terms of tenure of office is a bad habit. The performance of a regime is often determined by the legacy of achievements and problems of its predecessors.

Ten days before the Kanjuruhan tragedy, President Joko Widodo formed a non-judicial resolution team for past gross human rights violations. The decision made two impressions. First, the President does not believe that the judiciary is willing or able to resolve the problem, so shortcuts are taken. Second, impunity will last a long time for those with strong connections.

Now, many parties demand that the Kanjuruhan case be thoroughly investigated. Even if the demands are met, it will be a strong reaction in a major case. However, this action does not dismantle the root of structural problems that have been chronic in national history. Thus, it does not automatically end impunity and the randomness of violence.

Whatever the outcome, the legal process in the Kanjuruhan case will become a national lesson outside of school about the meaning of nation and state. Is 1 October worth celebrating with the national flag flying at the top of the mast, as a legacy of the New Order? Or lowered to half-mast in memory of the victims of a national tragedy?

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Ariel Heryanto

Ariel Heryanto

Emeritus professor, Monash University, Australia

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.