Can democratic RI accept Romo Mangun?<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): As Yusuf Bilyarto Mangunwijaya, a.k.a. Romo
\n(Father) Mangun, turned 65 last week, a close friend asked the
\noften controversial figure if he would remain controversial in a
\ndemocratic Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The question was posed by Arief Budiman, himself a vocal
\nscholar, who like many other activists took his cue from Romo
\nMangun.<\/p>\n
He asked his question during a seminar as a tribute to the man
\nwho often came into frontal confrontation with the authorities.<\/p>\n
Some 300 people, whose names look like a who's who in
\nIndonesian community of activists and government critics, turned
\nup for the seminar organized jointly by the Institute for Inter-
\nFaith Dialog in Indonesia and the Kompas daily newspaper on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
There were Abdurrahman Wahid, Adnan Buyung Nasution, Arswendo
\nAtmowiloto, Ashadi Siregar, Astrid Sutanto, Arief Budiman,
\nRendra, and Darmanto Jatman. There were also many student
\nactivists whose faces have become familiar in recent months for
\nstaging street demonstrations, even if their names have not.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun, a Catholic priest, has spent virtually all his
\nlife working for the improvement of helpless, unfortunate people.
\nMore often than not, he has taken up their defense in the face of
\nsuppression from the authorities.<\/p>\n
Architect<\/p>\n
Born on May 6, 1929, Romo Mangun is also an architect, a
\nteacher, a philosopher, a theologian, a social-political,
\ncultural and literature critic.<\/p>\n
\"Romo Mangun is the archetypical teacher. He never ran away
\nfrom humanitarian and judicial problems,\" said Adnan Buyung
\nNasution, a staunch human rights activist.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun never indulged himself in slogans, which seem to
\nbe popular nowadays, Buyung said. \"Instead, he does real deeds
\nand always on the side of the little people.\"<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun was last year's recipient of the Aga Khan Award
\nfor Architecture, for his work in developing a housing complex
\nfor the community in Code River in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The mid-1980s was a time when there protests of the eviction
\nof thousands of villagers for the construction of the Kedung Ombo
\ndam in Central Java. But instead of joining in the protests, Romo
\nMangun organized a school for the children of the evicted
\nfarmers.<\/p>\n
\"The moral values expressed in his real, simple, deeds give
\nsuffering people a sense of hope,\" said Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nchairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama -- a Moslem organization.<\/p>\n
\"Many people can quickly identify themselves with Romo
\nMangun,\" said Arief Budiman of the Christian Satya Wacana
\nUniversity in Salatiga, Central Java.<\/p>\n
He questioned whether there is still room for people like Romo
\nMangun when and if Indonesia becomes truly democratic \"after
\n1998\".<\/p>\n
'The truth'<\/p>\n
He has played an effective role in society, and by staying
\naway from the formal political structure, he has been able to
\n\"speak the truth\" when others did not have the courage, Arief
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
While Arief made no attempt to answer the question he posed
\nabout Romo's controversial past and future, Romo himself did when
\nhe was speaking to The Jakarta Post later.<\/p>\n
\"A struggle never comes to an end. It's not something about
\nwhich you can conduct a feasibility study and count the costs and
\nbenefits,\" he said. \"No matter what happens, my struggle will
\ncontinue to the end of my life.\"<\/p>\n
In his speech before the forum, Romo Mangun said has lived
\nthrough five political orders -- the Dutch colonialism, the
\nJapanese military occupation, the revolution for independence,
\nthe old political order and the new order. He says that he hopes
\nto see at least a sixth.<\/p>\n
\"If there will be a new order and if I will live to see it,
\nboth of these things will be by the will of God. But it also
\ndepends on the willingness of the current, younger generation,\"
\nhe said, offering a challenge to the students present. (mun\/emb)<\/p>",
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