Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Social Affairs Minister Salim Segab Al Jufri has expressed concern about the social conflicts that occurred in the country lately involving students and common people.
During the past month, such conflicts had happened in a number of regions in Indonesia, namely in Bali, Ambon and Papua.
The clash in Ambon erupted after news had spread that a motorcycle taxi driver named Darvis Saiman of Waehaong village, Nusaniwe sub-district, was beaten to death by some people. The report inflamed the emotions of a certain group of residents who then attacked another group. But in the investigations the police conducted after the unrest, it turned out Darvis was not murdered but had died in a traffic accident.
Meanwhile, recent rioting in Klungkung district, Bali province, had happened due to a land dispute between two neighboring villages. One person was killed and tens of others were wounded in the brawls.
Minister Salim said social conflicts taking a human toll had often happened over trivial matters. He said such tragedies would not happen if people were prepared to get to know and cooperate with each other.
He said his ministry was currently developing a program to gather peace cadres from villages across Indonesia. The government, he said, had also allocated special funds to every village that should be used to develop the area and allow people from different villages to work together.(*)
