Playing by the rules<\/p>\n
Skirmishes broke out between student protesters and security
\ntroops in Bandung on Wednesday, only days after West Java
\nmilitary authorities issued an official ban on demonstrations.
\nSimilar cases of student defiance have occurred with considerable
\nregularity in the past, so there seems to be no reason for worry
\nor surprise. In the past, such acts of defiance usually resulted
\nin even tighter clampdowns by the authorities and a gradual
\ndwindling of the ardor on the part of the students -- at least
\nuntil the next worthy cause arose, by which time the authorities
\nhad usually let down their guard.<\/p>\n
One could ask whether history is about to repeat itself and
\nlittle, if anything useful will come from the recent events in
\nBandung. Wednesday's incident began when students from several
\nuniversities in Bandung converged on the state-run Padjadjaran
\nUniversity campus. They then demanded that all government
\nofficials suspected of involvement in the Rp 1.3 trillion Bapindo
\nloan scandal be prosecuted.<\/p>\n
However, since similar protests in past weeks led to ugly
\nclashes between students and security officers, causing, among
\nother things, huge traffic jams in central Bandung, the chief of
\nthe West Java Siliwangi Military Command, Maj. Gen. Muzani
\nSyukur, considered it advisable to forestall further
\ndemonstrations. All street protests were, as of May 27, banned in
\nWest Java, although demonstrations were permitted as long as they
\nremained restricted to campus grounds.<\/p>\n
Wednesday's clashes reportedly occurred after the hundreds of
\nstudents assembled at Padjadjaran University attempted to break
\nthrough the security cordons with the intention of marching
\ntowards the provincial legislature to air their grievances. After
\na tense stand-off, the students returned to the campus, where
\nthey read aloud their demands.<\/p>\n
The Padjadjaran University Student Senate subsequently issued
\na "statement of attitude" with regard to the incident,
\nemphasizing that demonstrations are a valid means of expression
\nin a democratic system, particularly since the conventional
\nchannels of popular expression are, as the statement says,
\n"defunct" and incapable of voicing the true aspirations of the
\npeople. Rather than ban demonstrations outright, it says, the
\nauthorities could instead provide guards or escorts to prevent
\nthem from getting out of hand.<\/p>\n
What we find worth noting here is not so much that the
\nstatement comes to the defense of demonstrations as that it
\nproposes a more or less reasonable alternative towards bridging
\nthe gap. The statement not only displays reason and rare
\nmoderation on the part of the students, but may indeed offer a
\nmeans for finding a solution to the problem. At this stage of our
\npolitical development, after all, differences of stance and
\nopinion are accepted, and so, as a consequence, should be their
\nairing, though obviously within the bounds of what is commonly
\nconsidered acceptable.<\/p>\n
The basic principle contained in the Padjadjaran University
\nstudent statement concerns that of freedom of assembly, which is
\nguaranteed by the Constitution. The point which is often made by
\nthe authorities -- that for the sake of order this freedom must
\nbe subject to regulations -- is accepted, although not to the
\nextent that the principle itself is set aside. This second point
\nmade by the statement is a strong indication that the need for
\norder is well understood. After all, no well-intentioned
\nindividual or party can possibly gain from chaos.<\/p>\n
All this indicates that there is still ample room for dialog
\nbetween the students and the authorities. Aside from the fact
\nthat it is better to know the true undercurrent of thought that
\nexists in our society, we, as a nation, have through our leaders
\nalready voiced our commitment to promoting a healthy democratic
\nclimate in this country. Gradually, all Indonesians in all
\npositions from all walks of life will have to learn to play by
\nrules to which many of us are not yet accustomed. Occasional
\nfrictions are bound to occur, but if the basic principles are
\nunderstood and reason prevails, there should be no need for
\nworry.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/playing-by-the-rules-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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