Flicker of hope<\/p>\n
Seven years ago to this day, President Soeharto uttered that
\nfamous remark \"I quit\", thus ending his 32-year rule amid tumult
\non the streets. The abrupt termination ushered in what we now
\nrefer to as the \"reform era\", which supposedly put us on the path
\ntowards a more democratic, just and prosperous nation. On May 21,
\n1998, students danced in the streets after they successfully
\nforced Indonesia's strongman to make that drastic but inevitable
\ndecision to step down. There was much hope and expectation that
\nthe process of nation-building could proceed upon more solid
\nfoundations.<\/p>\n
Certain weather patterns and agricultural activities cycle in
\nseven-year periods. And though we could hardly analyze the life
\nof a nation in cyclical terms, the fact is that Indonesia and
\nIndonesians have gone through a lot these last seven years. Many
\nof us could be could be forgiven for asking whether we will see a
\ngolden period over the next seven years; so much blood, sweat and
\ntears have been shed that people in this nation have a valid
\nclaim to demand some sort of payback soon.<\/p>\n
In spite of all the reforms that have been carried out in
\nalmost every field -- political, economic, legal and social --
\nthere are still too many unfulfilled expectations that raise the
\nquestion: Has it all been worth it?<\/p>\n
For the majority of the people, their living standards have
\nstill not returned to the levels before the advent of the 1998
\neconomic crisis. This much we know from the nation's per-capita-
\nincome, which is still below the highest level achieved during
\nthe Soeharto years. Aggregates and statistics don't tell the
\nwhole story, however. Many people still live in abject poverty,
\nand many others are barely above the poverty line that makes them
\nhighly vulnerable to even slight economic downturns. Another
\nindicator that the lives of many ordinary Indonesians has not
\nimproved is unemployment, which is officially put at 10 percent
\nand rising. Add to this the 40 million or so of the workforce who
\nare under-employed, and we get a picture that for most ordinary
\npeople, reforms have not much changed their lot. If anything,
\nmany are finding themselves in worse condition.<\/p>\n
Certain things have barely changed in other areas of the
\nnation's life too. Corruption remains rampant, even as one
\npresident after another promised to rein in this malady. The
\nsearch for justice remains elusive for most, and impunity is the
\norder of the day for the politically and economically powerful,
\neven as one president after another promised to turn Indonesia
\ninto a country ruled by law. Our personal safety has not improved
\nwith soaring crime rates; and people in Maluku, Poso in Central
\nSulawesi, Papua and Aceh, have had to live with endless conflict.<\/p>\n
But are things really that bad? Have we squandered these seven
\nyears just like that? Those who see the glass half empty would
\nsay that the reform era is dead in the water. Some even suggest
\nthat we should go back to a Soeharto-style government, doing away
\nwith freedom and democracy, and putting economic development as
\nthe sole agenda.<\/p>\n
Those who see the glass as half full believe that all is not
\nlost. Some good things have come out of the reform process but it
\nis easy to overlook them amidst all the despondency that went
\nwith unmet expectations.<\/p>\n
For one, the nation still enjoys a far larger degree of
\nfreedom of expression and association, when there was virtually
\nnone under Soeharto's rule-by-terror.<\/p>\n
Today, we can vent our anger at our leaders and politicians if
\nthey fail to live up to expectations; judging by the endless open
\nprotests we see across the country, our leaders have a lot to
\nanswer for. Corruption may still be rampant, but the free press
\nrun these stories on the front page not only to draw public
\nattention, but also to put pressure on the authorities to get
\ntheir act together. None of this was possible under Soeharto.<\/p>\n
We have also seen a plethora of new political parties and
\nlabor unions formed over the last seven years just as an example
\nof how this constitutional right to form associations has been
\nused, for better or for worse, by the citizens of this country.<\/p>\n
There are also the democratic elections that we have held
\nsince 1999, including for the first time, the direct election of
\nour president in 2004. Sovereignty is now almost fully returned
\nto the people. We may have been wrong in voting for this party or
\nfor that candidate at the last election, but we now have the
\nchoice of not returning them to office in the next election. This
\noption was completely non-existent under Soeharto.<\/p>\n
All in all, things have not been as bad as some would have us
\nbelieve. We are making progress, albeit painfully slow. We have
\nsecured freedom of expression and association to some extent, but
\nnot yet freedom from poverty or freedom from fear. Those should
\nbe on our agenda for the next seven years.<\/p>\n
If there is one lesson of this last seven years, it is that
\nchange comes slowly in this country.<\/p>\n
Amidst the inevitable gloom-and-doom comments that will
\naccompany today's seventh anniversary of the reform era, there is
\nstill a flicker of hope that Indonesia is on the right track. A
\nlot ultimately depends on our elected leaders, for they can
\ndecide how far and how fast they want to push the reform agenda.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flicker-of-hope-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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