Communication breakdown<\/p>\n
When the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) wound up its
\nGeneral Session 10 days ago, many people had hoped that the
\nprotests which had been taking place on various campuses
\nthroughout the country would also end. After all, the protests
\nwere seen as part of the students' attempt to influence the MPR
\nproceedings in electing the president and vice president, and in
\nenacting the State Policy Guidelines for the 1998\/2003 period.<\/p>\n
Since the major political issues, on which the MPR had
\npainstakingly worked for months, have been settled, there is no
\nreason for students to continue their protests, or so the
\nargument goes. No amount of protests could bring the MPR members
\nto revise their decisions.<\/p>\n
Protesting students think differently. Their protests have
\nbecame more vociferous, not less. Besides calling for action to
\nlower basic food prices, they are also pressing for political
\nreform, including changes in the national leadership.<\/p>\n
The protests have escalated and expanded since March 11.
\nHardly a day goes by now without protests at some colleges.
\nAlthough one or two of these protests degenerated into skirmishes
\nwith the authorities, most have been conducted peacefully on the
\ncampuses.<\/p>\n
The students' insistence on continuing the protests reflects
\ntheir low opinion of the MPR's sessions, and their anger at being
\ncompletely sidelined. If they are ignoring the MPR decisions now,
\nthey are simply getting their own back.<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the MPR was the only
\npolitical group to have met with a delegation from the University
\nof Indonesia's Student Senate for dialog. Other factions did not
\neven bother to listen to students' demands. And even that one
\nmeeting with the ABRI faction, which was widely covered by the
\nmedia, showed that students and the military did not see eye to
\neye on many major political questions facing Indonesia.<\/p>\n
To their credit, the authorities have so far shown great
\nrestraint. They have tolerated these protests, in spite of the
\nincreasingly blunt messages and strong language used by students.<\/p>\n
The economic crisis undoubtedly has given students plenty to
\ngrumble about, and they need an outlet to channel their
\ngrievances and frustrations.<\/p>\n
Police have allowed these protests to take place as long as
\nthey are held inside the campuses. This is very wise, for, to try
\nto suppress their anger, for example by breaking up the
\ndemonstrations, the authorities run the risk of antagonizing the
\nstudents, and this can be counterproductive.<\/p>\n
Comments from government and military officials about these
\nprotests have also been circumspect, and some even positive.
\nArmed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto, for example, has proposed dialog
\nwith the students to discuss their demands.<\/p>\n
What good the dialog would do is questionable, as apparent
\nfrom the students' cool response to Gen. Wiranto's gesture. The
\noffer came too late, and it came from the wrong quarter.<\/p>\n
Dialog with the military is not likely to lead to the MPR
\nrolling back its decisions. At best, it would be a forum for
\nstudents to let off steam and a chance to be heard, although not
\nnecessarily listened to. But this is something that students are
\nalready enjoying in their campus protests.<\/p>\n
A dialog should have been held with the MPR factions or its
\nmembers during the General Session, certainly before they reached
\ntheir decisions on matters crucial to the future of this nation.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, with the exception of the military, there was
\nnot the slightest intention from the other MPR factions to lend
\nan ear to the students.<\/p>\n
To dismiss the students as representing a minority voice in
\nthe country is a gross and dangerous oversimplification,
\nespecially given that these protests occurred spontaneously at
\nall the major colleges in the country.<\/p>\n
The obsession to make the MPR General Session a success had
\nvirtually forced all the political factions to work according to
\na prepared script. The few attempts to deviate from this scenario
\nwere quickly quashed. In the process, they have virtually cut
\nthemselves off from the rest of the nation.<\/p>\n
The MPR sessions may go down in history as the one of the
\nsmoothest. Its success, if it could be called that, however, must
\nbe discounted by the breakdown in communication between the
\npolitical elite on the one hand, and the people, as represented
\nby the students, on the other.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/communication-breakdown-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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