A.

Introduction

Indonesia is multicultural country, which one of the characteristic including

existence in diversity on ethnics. According to L.Van Der Berghe, “Characteristic of
multicultural society is relatively happen conflict.” Which one of the conflict happened
because of that diversity in ethnics was conflict that happen in the district of Sambas,
West Kalimantan Province. Which involved ethnic group of Madura and ethnic group of
Melayu.

Conflict between Madura ethnic and Melayu ethnic that happened in 1999,
already made many of casualties. From that riots/conflict, already made victims which
consist of, 1.189 people died, 168 people with serious injuries, 34 people with minor
injuries, 3.833 house burnt and broken, 12 cars and 9 motorbikes burnt/broken, 8
mosques broken, 2 schools broken, 1 building broken, and 29.823 Madura people
evacuated.

That conflict was horizontal conflict which already made big impact to both of
ethnic groups that warring and became bad precedent on the country that has Pancasila as
their philosophy and became serious threat in statehood.

Based on that phenomena, I interested for analyze these conflict between both of
ethnic groups as additional knowledge for know about the root of the problem, so if in the
future that kind of conflict can be prevent.

These horizontal conflict issue which involved group ethnics need to be simplified
in order to tell what is the purpose of this paper is written for. Then it can be divided in to
the following problems:

1. What kind of factors that made this conflict happened?

2. How were the impacts that caused by that conflict?
3. How was the repressive efforts from the government for the conflict in
Sambas?

1
B. Analysis

These one of social horizontal conflict which was conflict between group ethnics
that happened in Sambas. One of the causes of that conflict was the stereotype behavior.
Stereotype behavior is combination from the characteristics that always been applied by a
group to another group, or from people to another people. That attitude reflected when we
saw the Madura people that assessed as diligent, ductile and creative in exploring natural
resources, clump on their way of life and tend to be exclusive also always used unfair
ways, had a bad temperament that make weak of social contact of Madura ethnic with
other citizens. In the other side, the image of Melayu ethnic society which had delicate
and easy to budge, but when in face with the people from Madura clan that have hard
temperament also grudge on its own which accumulated maximum. Then slowly can
showed their own sentiment that opposite from their real behavior of Melayu people.
These thing give rise to hatred and negative stereotype by Melayu clan as native
inhabitants of Sambas. Within a certain time, when the social contact between these two
of ethnics groups triggered by personal problem as well as interest of certain group, that
made conflict couldn’t be avoided. The other reasons why Sambas conflict grow bigger
was Primordialism behavior and solidarity between the members of ethnic group, where
people in Melayu ethnic as well as Madura that in other area like Pemangkat (a small
town in West Kalimantan, that located in the northwest of the provincial capital
Pontianak), that at the first time didn’t want to involve, also provoked for joined to
support their ethnic.

When the conflict happened, the negative impact showed and much easier felt.
Not only the conflicted party but all society layers. The negative impacts from that
conflict were a rift between people, occurance change of behavior like revenge, hatred,
even traumatic, destruction of property, 1.189 victims and even appeared domination
from the winner group. In that conflict, it appeared that with the power of ethnic group of
Melayu that supported by Dayak ethnic, they were able to banish 29.823 people from
Madura ethnic from area that they lived in to the Pontianak city, after that they treated as
temporary refuge in Sports Building GOR Pangsuma. Next, they were relocated to
Tebang Kacang area, and Madura clan prohibited to go back to Sambas area. These thing
affected to the society which appeared sense of fear, not only for both of that group

2
 ethnic, also for other citizen which have different ethnic that lived in the area of conflict.
They would be afraid, if they were the next victims or they were afraid of trying and
working because they prioritized their own safety. This things would make unproductivity
society and in the end many of people will lose their jobs. If someone already lost his job,
it will increase in the rate of unemployment in Indonesia. This was the ironic event that
happened when Indonesia with their Pancasila as their philosophy of life, but unable to do
anything when directly faced with citizen anger.

The next things is at first glance it seems conflict in Sambas was pure conflict
between ethnic. Actually, it was revealed that government slow action on solving these
Sambas conflict. Even though, one of government task is has responsibility in
advancement and protection of human’s rights for it’s citizen. Slow behavior it self
showed by government where the new government bring out repressive policy after the
conflict already bigger and started uncontrolled, seems like government drop off it
responsibility. So in the end, the situation became tense and victims increased. Repressive
policy of institution even appeared a new problem that made the problem became
complicated when at first time the legal action didn’t do by the police institution as it
should be. Efforts to handle what the government done it self, which allocating and
prevent for spreading of that conflict, also held a dialogue between public figure and
religious leader with reconciliation. But this method failed because Melayu people that
represented by public figure from them said that Madura people couldn’t be accepted
back to Sambas district again. That caused by to many of disappointment with Madura
clan and traumatized by that event between that group of ethnic.

C. Conclusion

A negative stereotype behavior can be one of the reason why conflict between
groups of ethnic in West Kalimantan, especially in Sambas area happened. When the
conflict happened, the negative consequences appeared in to condition that was very
prominent and easily to be felt. Slow of handling by the government on solved the
conflict that made new issue that already made the problem to be complicated. Indonesia
is diverse in way of clans, ethnics, and culture. That makes Indonesia is a
multiculturalism nation. Having Pancasila and Bhineka Tunggal Ika as our policy in way
of life of Indonesia. We must know that our situation with this conditions and mutual
understanding between people from other ethnic in order to make peaceful living in

3
 Indonesia even though every people are different than each other. Because we know that
we cannot live without other people that’s make us as social creature.

D. Solution

Things that can be done in order to decrease conflict between groups of ethnic
with confounding life style in many daily activities like anniversary celebration of region
and Indonesia Independence day that need contribution from all groups of ethnic evenly.
Also need of accompaniment by law and re acceptance for Madura ethnic to be back as
the citizen that live and develop in Sambas area. In order to make a peaceful live with less
of conflict between each other we must learn a mutual respect of each other in order to
gain understanding. Because every people have different kind of views and opinion. That
can be done by learning culture diversity/multiculturalism, because after we learn this we
can obtain professionalism in handling and communicating with other people from
different background. Also avoid hurting their feelings. That will made the corporations
between all of them will be harmonic and peaceful.

4
 References

http://raisyaandhira.blogspot.com/2012/11/konflik-Sambas.html

http://anongsetiawan.blogspot.com/2013/02/konflik-etnik-Melayu-Sambas-dengan.html

http://www.library.ohiou.edu/indopubs/2000/12/19/0052.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/207921765/KONFLIK-ETNIK-MELAYU-SAMBAS-
DENGAN-MADURA-TAHUN-1999-docx

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerusuhan_Sambas

https://www.kontras.org/index.php?hal=siaran_pers&id=126

http://miamiiaa.blogspot.com/2011/12/latar-belakang-dan-dampak-sosial.html

http://achmadridwan.blogspot.com/2009/01/tiga-waktu-tiga-peristiwa.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambas_riots