A nation at the crossroads<\/p>\n
It has been just a little over a month since President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid assumed office, but the peril of
\ndisintegration, which has long been quietly smoldering beneath
\nIndonesia's fertile soil, appears to be increasing by the day. It
\nis now posing one of the most awkward complications to this
\ncountry's first democratically elected government since 1955.<\/p>\n
The seeds of dissent and separatism were planted by a
\nsuccession of administrations and nourished during the last three
\ndecades by corruption-ridden authoritarian central governments in
\nJakarta. Those seeds have not only taken root, but in several
\nplaces the dissent has developed into stubborn shoots, which are
\nproving to be difficult to uproot.<\/p>\n
This is true for Irian Jaya, Riau and other regions of
\nIndonesia. But nowhere has the problem become so vexing and so
\nrepresentative of the spirit of mutiny against Jakarta's
\ndomination as in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.
\nIronically, this province was one of the strongest supporters of
\nIndonesian independence under Jakarta's leadership during the
\n1945 to 1949 war against the Dutch.<\/p>\n
It has been argued that a perceived injustice in the
\ndistribution of the national wealth lies at the heart of the
\ncurrent local rebellions against Jakarta's centralist policies.
\nUp to a certain point, this contention is true. This explains why
\nthe most vocal demands for independence, or at least for wide-
\nranging autonomy, are currently heard in regions rich in natural
\nresources, such as Aceh and Riau.<\/p>\n
The explanation, however, provides just one part of the story.
\nIndonesia is one of the world's most diverse countries, whether
\nthat be in terms of resource distribution, material progress,
\nculture, religion, language, or customs and traditions.<\/p>\n
One of the outstanding achievements of the leaders of
\nIndonesia's independence movement was to mold in the late 1920s
\nall the diverse components living and existing in what was then
\nthe Netherlands East Indies, into one unified whole under the
\nwell known motto: one country, one nation, one language --
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Remarkable as that achievement may be, it has been made clear
\nthat Indonesia's unity is not something that can be taken for
\ngranted, but is something that requires hard work. It was created
\nby individuals and obviously must take the nation's effort to
\nmaintain. This crucial reality, which previous governments failed
\nto recognize, has led to disastrous consequences.<\/p>\n
The unenviable task of picking up the pieces after the
\ndevastation left behind by his predecessors rests with the
\npresent government of President Abdurrahman Wahid. This could
\nhave been a much easier task -- or at least less of a dilemma --
\nto accomplish if Abdurrahman possessed the same authoritarian
\npowers which his predecessors freely resorted to using.<\/p>\n
As it is, the President will have to carefully weigh how he
\ngoes about resolving the crisis, lest he risk losing some of his
\ncredibility. Assuming that a popular referendum is what the
\nmajority of people want in Aceh and Irian Jaya, and perhaps to a
\nlesser extent also in Riau, holding one would clearly be the only
\ndemocratic way out of the problem.<\/p>\n
After the trauma of East Timor however, the mounting
\nobjections currently heard in Jakarta to this eventuality are
\neasy enough to understand. After East Timor, any further loss --
\nof Aceh, and possibly Irian Jaya, Riau and other resource-rich
\nprovinces -- would be certain to generate outright rejection in
\nthe rest of Indonesia that could, at its worst, end in the
\nfragmentation of the country. Such a scenario is certain to scare
\nnot only the majority of Indonesians, but governments and
\npolitical observers throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
\nAdditionally, it would mean a considerable increase in the
\npotential for trouble and conflict in the region.<\/p>\n
As the situation currently stands, a possible way out that
\ncould be acceptable to all parties involved would be to work
\ntoward granting real and wide-ranging autonomy to the various
\nregions of Indonesia. This strategy takes into account the
\nreality that federalism is still a dirty word to many
\nIndonesians, in particular the military.<\/p>\n
That problem, however, must be put on hold. The absolute
\nprerequisite for making such a settlement even possible to
\nresolve with absolute fairness, is to, for once and for all,
\npursue outstanding cases of human rights abuses and injustices
\nwherever they exist in this country. Unless this action is
\ncarried out, it will be disheartening to think about the future
\nof this nation, which our predecessors built at the cost of so
\nmuch blood and tears.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-nation-at-the-crossroads-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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