Free no longer<\/p>\n
It won't be long now before water, that natural element on
\nwhich all life on earth depends and which occurs in such great
\nabundance in Indonesia, will cease to be a free commodity. Many
\nconcerned citizens fear that the passage by the House of
\nRepresentatives of the bill on water resources into law last
\nThursday will turn water into a tradable commodity, just like,
\nsay, electricity or textiles, or any other commodity that is sold
\nfor profit.<\/p>\n
The critics also argue that the new law is in conflict with
\nthe Constitution, which under Section 3, Article 33, stipulates
\nthat "land and water and all the natural riches that are
\ncontained within are controlled by the state and used for the
\ngreater benefit of the people." This is why environmental
\norganizations such as the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
\n(Walhi) have in the past months been intensely campaigning for
\nthe rejection of the bill by the national legislature.<\/p>\n
The government and legislators, for their part, have sought to
\nassuage those fears by stating that the law can always be amended
\nat a later date. They also argue that any provisions that are
\nconsidered contrary to the people's interests can be honed to
\nbetter serve the public by inserting the necessary provisions in
\ngovernmental decrees or accompanying regulations that are
\nrequired to implement the law.<\/p>\n
Whatever is the case, with the passage of the bill already a
\nreality last Thursday, it now only requires President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri to sign the bill into law -- or, should she refuse
\nto do so for whatever reason -- after 30 days have elapsed the
\nbill will automatically become law.<\/p>\n
A potentially momentous decision has thus been taken that
\ncould adversely affect the lives of millions. Pathetically, all
\nthe agitation over what the detractors refer to as the
\ncommercialization, or privatization, of water, appears to have
\npassed by those who stand to lose the most -- the farmer and
\npeasant population who make up an estimated 70 percent to 80
\npercent of the country's total population -- without making so
\nmuch as a stir.<\/p>\n
In all this, it seems that not many Indonesians have heeded
\nthe fact that even at present, three foreign companies are
\nalready engaged in the business of water resource management in
\nIndonesia. Those are Thames Water and Biwater of Britain, and
\nSuez-Lyonnaise and Vivendi, of France -- all of whom, however,
\nare operating in urban areas.<\/p>\n
For the critics of the water bill passed by the House of
\nRepresentatives last week, however, the concern is focused mainly
\nnot on urban Indonesia, but on the needs and the fate of the
\nmillions of people in the rural areas who rely on water not only
\nfor their household needs, but for irrigation as well, consuming
\na much larger quantity of water. This is where the crucial test
\nof the bill's merits or demerits will eventually take place.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to appease critics, legislator A.M. Fatwa, who
\nchaired the House meeting that endorsed the draft last Thursday,
\nsaid that "Nothing is set in stone. We have a Constitutional
\nCourt to go to and we can always amend the bill." Only time will
\ntell whether Indonesians can seek comfort in those words.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/free-no-longer-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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