TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The bloody conflict between the Makatana Minahasa people and a Muslim group in Bitung, North Sulawesi, carries with it a hidden danger. Although the conflict was quickly brought to an end, violence resulting from differences of opinion regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in tensions that have spread to neighboring regions. The police must make certain that there are no similar conflicts, especially if political interests take advantage of the situation in the run-up to the 2024 elections.
The clashes between members of the Makatana Minahasa, a Christian mass organization, and a Muslim group calling itself the Muslim Solidarity Front (BSM) broke out on Saturday, November 25. The Makatana group, which organized a parade to mark its anniversary, which was also attended by other mass organizations such as the Manguni Makasiouw Brigade, was involved in clashes with the BSM, which had organized an action to defend Palestine. A Makatana member was killed in the ensuing violence.
The police, together with the government of Bitung and the surrounding area, need to watch out for the possibility of similar violent clashes. Although a number of public figures in Bitung declared four days of peace after the clashes, the embers of the conflict have not yet been fully extinguished. Members of mass organizations and their supporters continue to spread threats of revenge on social media. There was even a plan to deploy a jihad group to Bitung. Tensions have spread to North Minahasa and Manado.
The risk of conflict clearly cannot be treated lightly. Several groups involved in the confrontation in Bitung have a history of rivalry from the conflict in Poso. There have been warnings that the Muslim Solidarity Front comprises combat groups who fought in Poso. And there are indications that the Manguni Brigade also fought in the bloody conflict in Central Sulawesi.
History tells us that religious or ethnic conflicts in this nation are not easy to quell. The Poso conflict between Christian and Muslim groups lasted for three years from 1998 to 2001, while the conflict in Ambon, Maluku province, continued from 1999 to 2002. Even after peace was established between the warring groups, the violence left a desire for revenge and protracted trauma.
Bloody feuds like those in Poso and Ambon easily break out, especially if organizations like the military or local and national political elites support a group readily provoked by rumors. Hoaxes spread widely on social media and easily reach vigilante groups that, because of a desire for vengeance for past wrongs or because they have low tolerance, are eager to fight.
There is a higher potential for conflict in the run-up to the 2024 elections. Like in the 2014 and 2019 elections, many contestants will try using divisive identity politics. This type of politics also appeared in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, which saw intolerant groups not reluctant to be antagonistic to other groups. They also use issues that are not relevant to the Indonesian domestic political context, such as the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
Without a high state of readiness from the law enforcement authorities, the seeds of conflict will grow. The police, regional heads, and party elites should not play around with or exploit this threat. Horizontal conflicts that do such harm to this nation must not break out again and must be nipped in the bud at the earliest opportunity.
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