Federal system best way to end separatism issue<\/p>\n
In recent weeks the nation has seen the awakening of
\nseparatist aspirations in a number of locations, including in
\nIrian Jaya. Catholic priest-cum-novelist-cum-architect-cum-social
\nworker Y.B. Mangunwijaya believes that creating a United States
\nof Indonesia is the answer to these problems.<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Papua New Guinea patriots have openly
\ndemanded freedom. The demand was made without fear in the center
\nof Jakarta. Had they done so in Jayapura or Biak they would have
\nbeen shot dead.<\/p>\n
Gubernare est previdere et providere, goes an ancient Roman
\nsaying. Have a forward vision and make appropriate arrangements.
\nUnderstand the signs of the time, please, and weigh the natural
\nconsequences of 30 years of Soeharto's iron-fist security and
\nself-censoring fear.<\/p>\n
In the 1950s a unified state with a firm centralized rule was
\nnecessary to confront our former colonial masters. Even during
\nthe years of economic growth from 1965 onwards, a centralized
\nstate was a prudent and appropriate superstructure for the
\ncountry. But the iron rule of Soeharto since that time was too
\ncruel to bear. Fascistic methods became all too common and the
\nfurther you traveled from Jakarta the more common Nazi SS-style
\npractices became.<\/p>\n
Wisdom and courage are required to learn from the ancient
\nprinciple of Roman statesmanship lex agendi lex essendi, the law
\nof action is the law of doing.<\/p>\n
A peaceful and democratic centralized government can rule a
\nnation of five million people. But for a similar governing
\ninstitution to rule a huge and heterogeneous mass is impossible,
\nunless it resorts to the language of violence. Is that really
\nwhat we want?<\/p>\n
Even the late president Sukarno himself, as chairman of the
\nCommittee for the Independence of Indonesia, declared to the
\nCentral National Committee of Indonesia (an embryonic Indonesian
\nparliament) on Aug. 18, 1945, that the proposed Constitution was
\na: "...somewhat tentative Constitution, a lightning Constitution,
\nor you could call it, a revolutionary Constitution. Later we
\nshould make a Constitution which is more complete."<\/p>\n
Thus the 1945 Constitution was not meant to last forever.<\/p>\n
A nation with such a diversity of people, spread as they are
\nacross an area larger than Europe, can only develop in a
\ndemocratic fashion if a decentralized state becomes a reality.<\/p>\n
The young generation, who will guide our republic in the 21st
\ncentury, need explicit guarantees to protect their basic human
\nrights and this would best be served by a federal framework for
\nthe state.<\/p>\n
But do the young generation demand federalism?<\/p>\n
Yes, the concerned and the committed do.<\/p>\n
They never knew Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta. They cannot
\nappreciate the enormous difficulties which they both had to face.
\nThey did not experience first hand the heady rush of excitement
\nas Indonesia took its first tentative steps as a free and
\ndemocratic nation. The young generation only know what they have
\nbeen taught about Sukarno in the New Order's brainwashing
\nPancasila courses.<\/p>\n
Although our young generation did not taste the early joys of
\nindependence for themselves they have experienced the New Order
\nregime at first hand.<\/p>\n
They are now fed up with great leaders, corrupt authoritarian
\nbureaucrats and threatening generals with their one-way command
\nover a centralized state and society. Indonesia Incorporated.<\/p>\n
They don't want another big leader. Gadjah Mada University
\nrector Dr. Ichlasul Amal pointed to the very heart of the matter
\nwhen he said in a seminar some time ago that: "the new generation
\nis basically federalist".<\/p>\n
The 1950s required unity and so a strongly centralized state
\nwas created. However in seeking a model for the state as we
\napproach the 21st century I would like to draw your attention to
\nthe famous message of our great democrat and independence fighter
\nMohammad Hatta, who knew his own people's character very well. He
\nwarned against the wrong kind of unity when he said: "We too
\nstruggle for persatuan (unity), that's why we reject persatean
\n(being stuck together like meat on sate skewers).<\/p>\n
So, if we earnestly wish to stay away from a wave of
\nseparatism started by our Papua brothers; if we don't want to
\nimitate a crumbling Yugoslavia, with ethnic divisions widened by
\nthe ambition to create a Greater Serbia, or Greater Java for that
\nmatter, then we should stop and think. We should ask if a
\ngovernment which greedily sucks the wealth from the outer regions
\nof our country is really the best way to organize Indonesian
\nsociety in the 21st century.<\/p>\n
If the answer to this question is no then we must prepare --
\nthrough studies, seminars, discussions, discourses and the
\ndrafting of a wise and strong Constitution -- to build a country
\nthat will genuinely suit the needs of Indonesians in the 21st
\ncentury.<\/p>\n
We must prepare to build a United States of Indonesia.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/federal-system-best-way-to-end-separatism-issue-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }