Political openness not yet real: Observers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Several political observers lashed out at the
\ngovernment yesterday for its feeble attempts at democratization
\nand political openness, saying it has failed to follow up words
\nwith deeds.<\/p>\n
Eros Djarot, former chief editor of the DeTik weekly banned
\nlast year, and Marzuki Darusman, member of the National
\nCommission on Human Rights, took a critical stance in a
\ndiscussion on political openness and the globalization of
\ninformation yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The government has not followed up (its promise for greater
\npolitical openness),\" Eros told around 100 students participating
\nin the lively discussion held by the National University in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The government talks about globalization and democratization,
\nbut the bans on certain people and organizations to hold seminars
\nor dialogs continue anyway,\" Eros said.<\/p>\n
He reminded his audience that even now, 30 years after the
\nabortive coup of the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI), the authorities still stamp a \"former political prisoner\"
\nlabel on the identification cards of people involved in the
\nuprising.<\/p>\n
\"This becomes an inherited sin,\" Eros said, pointing out that
\nthe children of those former political prisoners, despite their
\ninnocence, also have to bear the consequences.<\/p>\n
\"Political openness still resides only in the minds of the
\npeople,\" he added, urging the government to be more politically
\nopen-minded.<\/p>\n
Another critical discussion took place in Semarang, where
\nulema and scholar Abdurrahman Wahid and political observers Afan
\nGaffar and Soehardjo focused on democratization.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who is also chairman of the 28 million Nahdlatul
\nUlama (NU) Moslem organization, said democratization is nothing
\nmore than a topic of debate among political elites.<\/p>\n
\"There have never been complete discourses on democracy,\" he
\nsaid. He pointed out that successful talk of democracy depends on
\nthe existing balance of power, which is currently tilted in favor
\nof the executive branch.<\/p>\n
Afan Gaffar, a staff-lecturer at the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah
\nMada University, took another view, though no less critical. He
\nsaid the nation has all the \"formal requirements\" needed to
\nestablish democracy, but those factors are not allowed to operate
\noptimally.<\/p>\n
He described the condition as \"democracy in formality only\".<\/p>\n
Soehardjo, a staff lecturer at Diponegoro University in
\nSemarang, Central Java, agreed with Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
\"People in the lower layers of society don't know the meaning
\nof democracy,\" he said. \"They are too preoccupied with the
\ndifficulties of earning a living.\"<\/p>\n
In the discussion in Jakarta, Marzuki Darusman said political
\nopenness can serve as an information filter.<\/p>\n
\"Globalization of the information system may lead to a
\nglobalization of misinformation since it is often difficult to
\nselect which information is relevant (for certain communities),\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He also reminded the audience that globalization of
\ninformation may also result in the establishment of a mono-
\nculture.<\/p>\n
\"It's possible that someday a prophet will be less famous than
\nMichael Jackson,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eros, who is also a famous musician and cinematographer,
\npointed out the futility of the authorities current approach in
\ndealing with globalization of information--for instance, by
\nmerely reminding people not to absorb information which goes
\nagainst the nation's ideology.<\/p>\n
Instead, the government should now employ \"political and
\nlegal\" approaches, he said with elaborating.<\/p>\n
Proof of the inefficient approach lies in the fact that both
\nthe state-owned TVRI television station and private television
\nstations are full of programs which are very \"open\" by
\nIndonesia's cultural standards, he said.<\/p>\n
He also said that there are no guarantees that globalization
\nwill accelerate the development process here. (imn\/har)<\/p>",
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