REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Social justice and harmony are the keys to maintaining peace and security in Indonesia and the rest of the world, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said.

"Although Indonesia has witnessed conflicts several times, none of them were serious. No bomb blasts were reported during the conflicts, unlike those in Pakistan or Iraq. The key rests in fostering mutual respect and appreciation among citizens," he stated while addressing a meeting on "Solving Domestic Conflicts in Southeast Asia" here on Thursday.

Speaking before several foreign ambassadors and citizens in Indonesia, Kalla, who was the only speaker at the meeting, pointed out that political and security conditions in the country were relatively stable and economically favorable, despite Indonesia having a population of more than 250 million, and a diverse culture, traditions and religions.

According to the vice president, this diversity was not the cause of the conflicts that occurred in several parts of the country.

They were due to lack of justice, wherein local people felt that natural resources had not improved their welfare, among other reasons, he noted.

"Take Aceh, for instance. The province is rich in oil and gas, but as local people felt they were not prosperous, a conflict arose there. The same holds true for Papua," he observed.

The intensity of conflicts in Indonesia is still within the limits of propriety and can be resolved through dialogs or negotiations, Kalla affirmed.

He also pointed out that conflicts occur not only in Indonesia, but in the rest of Southeast Asia as well, including in Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Conflicts in those countries were caused by social disparities that led to religious clashes, he revealed.

"There are conflicts in every Southeast Asian country, but how they escalate and are settled varies," he remarked.

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