Neutrality, Megawati's mantle?<\/p>\n
Surely, the very same money that undemocratically squeezed the
\nred-neck, George W. Bush, into the White House, must be behind
\nthe article titled U.S. must prevent chaos in RI (The Jakarta
\nPost, Aug. 2, 2001) by Tom Plate. It is all too redolent of the
\narms industry.<\/p>\n
Rather than militarism, Switzerland, another nation of great
\nlinguistic and cultural diversity, sensibly chose political
\nreform and the advancement of individual rights when confronted
\nwith a brief civil war that threatened its unity in 1848. It
\nadopted a confederal constitution guaranteeing the rights of
\ncitizens and providing for the cantons to maintain their autonomy
\nwithin a unitary state, governed by a democratic central
\ngovernment, headed by a seven-member Federal Council instead of a
\nprime minister. It also reconfirmed its anti-militarism manifest
\nin its tiny regular army and long-standing neutrality.<\/p>\n
Like Indonesia, the Confederation of Switzerland came into
\nbeing because of a desire to counter foreign intervention. The
\nSwiss, in thirteenth century Europe, feared the power of the
\nHapsburg family, while Indonesia coalesced to resist the Dutch.
\nUnfortunately, Indonesia failed to appreciate that foreign
\nintervention could come in other guises and these soon resulted
\nin the toppling of president Sukarno, the denationalizing of
\nWestern assets nationalized under him and the installation of the
\nQuisling-dictator, Soeharto, ultimately leading to the disastrous
\ninvasion of East Timor.<\/p>\n
Perhaps because Indonesia had to fight for its independence
\nand then suffer the Western-sponsored escalation of right-wing
\nmilitarism here, it is not considering solutions, other than
\nmilitary ones, properly.<\/p>\n
The Swiss, on the other hand, became very much aware that
\ntrying to maintain by force, the unity they needed to ensure
\ntheir freedom from others, was bound to fail in the long run
\nbecause brutality and oppression, perpetrated by a central
\ngovernment, are incompatible with freedom itself and that trust
\nand loyalty must develop in the regions if people are to
\nwillingly remain part of a unitary state. By eschewing coercion
\nthe Swiss have since achieved a level of stability and prosperity
\nthat few other countries can match.<\/p>\n
Given that Indonesia has suffered Pol Pot-like massacres and
\nother depredations as a result of being drawn into the Cold War,
\ninternationally recognized neutrality could be a way of avoiding
\nany recurrence. With a nervous and rather capricious Australia to
\nthe south that needs mollifying and the danger of being sucked
\ninto America's attempts to counter the growing power of China to
\nthe north, it is certainly an option worth serious consideration.
\nPerhaps, here is a chance for President Megawati to finish what
\nher father began.<\/p>\n
Arms-manufacturing countries will of course, vehemently oppose
\nthe resulting demilitarization; but let us hope that it will soon
\nbe widely acknowledged in Indonesia (and by various foreign
\ninvestors seeking stability) that the notion that military force
\ncan unify a nation is sheer folly.<\/p>\n
FRANK RICHARDSON<\/p>\n
Tangerang, Banten<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/neutrality-megawatis-mantle-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }