INTRO | HIGHLIGHTS | FEATURES | PHOTO STORIES | FOCUS | INTERVIEWS | PERSPECTIVES | BIOS
2006 Mount Merapi earthquake
in Java, Indonesia
JAVA is one of the most populous islands in the world that
was formed by volcanic eruptions. On 26 May 2006 it was
struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake south of Mt Merapi
volcano that killed at least 6,000 people and left 1 million
homeless.
The disaster was interpreted in terms of both geological
processes and through religion and mysticism which
underlie Javanese culture and society.2 Anthropologists
who have visited Java find that the Javanese have a
sophisticated view of how hazards connect with society
and political power.
Javanese society has more recently shifted from its
traditions and is adopting modern values and globalisation.
The people of Java viewed the earthquake as a sign that
they should return to the traditional rules and values that
were originally the foundation of their society. According to
religious understanding, disasters are not seen as random
occurrences, but as events happening for a special reason.
For example, the Javanese research participants viewed
the 2006 earthquake as a response to human insults
to the environment such as polluting the air and even
building a shopping centre.3 Thus, similar to the aftermath
of the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand, a religious
understanding of the world is connected with concerns for
the welfare of the natural environment and the politics of
human societies; the earthquake was perceived as a critique
of government and the political regime. The hazard became
intertwined with political reality. The earthquake had major
political implications, especially for government leaders on
the island of Java.
In response to disasters, Javanese people perform a series
of rituals that interlink religion, culture and disaster, while
preserving the culture of their ancestors. In a way, disasters
incite the Javenese people to respond by working to preserve
the cultural traditions that have been part of their society for
generations. It is not merely a disruption to their way of life
or a tragedy, but a catalyst for coping and preserving their
society for the future. But there are also clearly problems
with relying upon religious or mystical explanations for
why disasters occur, as they also have the potential to be
easily used for political manipulation. Sultan Hamengku
Buwono X who is the current monarch and governor of
Yogyakarta in Java, was considered a representative of the
modernisation of Javanese society that was later blamed for
the earthquake. The sultan may have referred to science and
rationalism instead of the religious or mystic traditions of
Java because the scientific view would correspond better to
his political strategy.
Studying how these hazardous events are viewed through
religious cultures in particular settings helps us to
understand how people respond and build resilience. For
centuries, strongly held religious values have been used
to help societies cope with disasters. This human aspect
of religion as a coping strategy and source of resilience is
important to consider.
Below: Examples of local cultural tr Y][ۜ