Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The South Sulawesi capital of Makassar is returning to normal despite rallies staged by students following the death of a domestic helper allegedly after being tortured by her Chinese-Indonesian employer.
Many shops in the downtown area, owned mainly by Chinese-Indonesians, remained open Thursday. Others opened their shops for only part of the day over fears that they may be vandalized during student rallies.
Hundreds of students threatened Wednesday to launch a sweeping operation against Chinese-Indonesians in Makassar within 48 hours if the police failed to investigate the death of the domestic helper and to charge the arrested suspect, Wandi Tandiawan.
The students, who claimed to represent an alliance of native Indonesians, raised their demands with the Makassar Police under the watchful eye of hundreds of police personnel.
Police began to remove the road block Thursday along Jl. Gunung Latimojong, where the suspect lives.
Police were seen only in the business district, residential areas where Chinese-Indonesians lived, and junctions through which the protesters passed.
Chinese-Indonesians have been the target of those who claim to be native Indonesians since the New Order government possibly because they often enjoy greater prosperity and because of their dominance in the country's economy.
Racial tensions rose in Makassar in 1997 when mobs set fire to buildings following the murder of a child by a Chinese-Indonesian.
At the Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar, students staged a rally at the campus by burning tires and giving speeches along Jl. Sultan Alauddin. A similar rally was also held by students of Muhammadiyah University.
During the demonstration, the students expressed concern over earlier anarchic student protests. "Our action is peaceful. We condemn the anarchic actions of certain groups," said an unidentified student. The students also reminded the people not to be easily provoked by groups who wanted to create unrest in Makassar.
Meanwhile, the regional police of Makassar continued investigating the case, by questioning a number of witnesses and holding a reconstruction of the crime at the scene.
Makassar Mayor Ilham Arief Siradjuddin denied Thursday that there was an exodus of Chinese-Indonesians from Makassar following the death of the domestic helper and the subsequent protests. "We have verified the reports and there wasn't any exodus at all. They were worried, but they did not leave Makassar," Ilham said. Ilham urged the public to view the incident purely as a criminal case and to leave it to the police.
A similar call was raised by chairman of the National Unity Communication Forum Anton Obey, who acknowledged that businessmen visiting Makassar had been forced to shorten their stay. "There isn't any exodus. Where will we go? We do not have any other country except Indonesia." he said.
Anton also admitted the recent incident had raised fears among Chinese-Indonesians that Makassar would be hit by riots again. "Please don't generalize any problem. It is a coincidence that the suspect is a Chinese-Indonesian, but it doesn't mean that all other Indonesians of Chinese descent have to bear the burden of his mistake," he added.