RI must cut off foreign dependence in order to survive<\/p>\n
Lela E. Madjiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Since 1998, nothing seems to have worked to restore national
\nunity and solidarity, not even the tragic Oct. 12 Bali bombings
\nthat claimed so many lives and shamed Indonesia into being
\nincluded on the list of countries foreigners must avoid.<\/p>\n
Indeed, national unity and solidarity seem to have become a
\nremote concept ever since the nation embarked on the reform
\nmovement in 1998. Rather than joining hands to attain the reform
\ngoals of democracy, clean governance and social justice, the
\nnation has been divided into groups of people fighting each other
\nfor power and wealth at the expense of national unity and
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
"Signs of disintegration and rampant communal fights in
\nvarious parts of the country show that we are suffering from a
\nunity crisis," Ali Yafie, legal adviser to the Indonesian Council
\nof Ulemas (MUI), said at a seminar titled Bersatulah Bangsaku
\nheld by the East Java chapter of the Indonesian Journalists
\nAssociation in Surabaya on Oct. 21.<\/p>\n
Many share his concern.<\/p>\n
"Solidarity has disappeared from the nation's life," said
\nArmy Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu.<\/p>\n
Worse, "people are divided and are finding fault with each
\nother," Ryamizard lamented on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A tragedy the scale of the Bali bombings should serve as a
\nwarning of, a time to reflect on, one's shortfalls. More
\nimportantly, the Bali tragedy should foster solidarity and unity
\namong Indonesians, two traits that are vital for Indonesia to
\nrecover from the impacts of the Bali blasts but are miserably
\nmissing.<\/p>\n
The Bali terrorist attacks have plunged the nation even deeper
\ninto an already prolonged, severe crisis and there is only one
\nway out: to stand up and rise above the challenges.<\/p>\n
To do this, Indonesians must rely on their inner strength,
\nespecially since the Bali tragedy has led to travel warnings,
\ndelays in loan disbursements, as well as cancellations of foreign
\ninvestments, projects and purchases.<\/p>\n
It was only in August that the People's Consultative Assembly
\nlast convened and among the crucial issues discussed was
\nlessening Indonesia's reliance on foreign help, or control,
\nincluding the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
\nBank.<\/p>\n
The IMF's reform package, for example, has resulted in
\nIndonesia's imports being bigger than its exports and Indonesia
\nlosing its economic independence.<\/p>\n
The free flow of foreign exchange and the easy procedures in
\nobtaining foreign loans, both for the government and the private
\nsector, have become a trap that makes Indonesia an easy target
\nfor currency speculators.<\/p>\n
Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult, if not
\nimpossible, for Indonesia to shake itself free from the clutches
\nof foreigners, notably the IMF and the World Bank.<\/p>\n
A retired general said that in 1998 a U.S. official threatened
\nan Indonesian official against abandoning the IMF's reform
\npackage. The threat came after a regional Buddhist organization
\noffered to bail out Indonesia. President Soeharto told one of his
\nadjutants he was considering the offer, but then riots broke out
\nagainst Indonesians of Chinese descent and the Buddhist
\nassociation canceled its offer. Soeharto was forced to take the
\nIMF's handouts.<\/p>\n
Things changed after Oct. 12 and many foreign governments,
\ninvestors and institutions, including the IMF and the World Bank,
\nsaid they were reviewing the effectiveness of their policies on
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesians must quickly grab this opportunity to break the
\ncycle of foreign dependence while it lasts.<\/p>\n
After all, nearly half of the money given to Indonesia by
\ntaxpayers of Western countries, or Rp 1,500 trillion (US$1.6
\ntrillion), has been stolen by corrupt local bankers anyway.<\/p>\n
"The huge amount of foreign loans has been embezzled by
\nIndonesian bankers," said Richard Holloway, chairman of
\nPartnership for Governance Reform (PGR) at the UNDP in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He cited, as an example, cases involving the Bank Indonesia
\nLiquidity Fund (BLBI) during a discussion on Globalization and
\nCorruption: Eradicating Corruption without Foreign Loans in
\nBandarlampung on Oct. 27.<\/p>\n
Moreover, 70 percent of the loans flow back to creditor
\ncountries, said Holloway.<\/p>\n
One anticorruption activist even went as far as to say that
\nthe huge amount of foreign debts was more frightening than a
\nghost.<\/p>\n
"The interest rates alone, which amount to Rp 80 trillion a
\nyear, can finance the development of 35 provinces the size of
\nWest Nusa Tenggara," Gatot of NTB was quoted as saying by Antara.<\/p>\n
NTB only has Rp 2.5 trillion for its regional development
\nbudget, Gatot added.<\/p>\n
To reduce dependency on foreign countries, Indonesians must
\nforge unity and solidarity: Unity to stand up against the
\nchallenges that the 1998 crisis had created and that were made
\nworse by the Bali blasts, and solidarity to bear the hardships.<\/p>\n
Self-reliance sounds like a good start. Indonesia is a huge
\nmarket for its own products and rather than pursuing uncertain
\nforeign buyers, producers should shift their focus and target
\ndomestic market. The government, on the other hand, must restrict
\nimports from countries that cancel their purchases of Indonesian
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Consumers should play their part by buying only local
\nproducts. People, particularly the rich, for example, could start
\nby eating at Indonesian restaurants instead of foreign fast food
\nchains. They can do without perfume or Western brand-name items
\nfor a while, and channel their wealth into more productive things
\nor set up funds for scholarships for poor children.<\/p>\n
There may be layoffs, but that is the price this nation must
\npay. This is where solidarity comes in. Society must share the
\nburden of possible layoffs. In the long run this move will create
\na new attitude, a new awareness among Indonesians, to only eat,
\nwear and use what they can produce in as much as it is possible.<\/p>\n
This kind of social solidarity will not be attained unless the
\ngovernment sets an example by leading a simple and honest life.
\nNo more foreign trips, unless really necessary. Reports of
\ngovernment officials and legislators making foreign trips despite
\nintense opposition against those trips are an example of poor
\nbehavior of the elite that will hamper efforts to build
\nsolidarity among the people.<\/p>\n
The government must also take real actions against corrupt
\nofficials and unscrupulous businessmen. Without concrete actions
\nagainst them and overdue punishment for the crooks, the
\ngovernment will not get the support from the people. In a country
\nwhere student movements seem only good at bringing down
\ngovernments rather than helping create good governance, it is
\nimportant that the government makes good on its reform promises,
\nincluding punishing corruptors. We cannot afford another failed
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The Bali tragedy has hit Indonesia badly but there are simple
\nand concrete things Indonesians can do to recover and regain its
\npride as a big nation. We were united in the struggle for
\nindependence; it is time to unite in another struggle to free
\nourselves from our weaknesses and foreign dependency.<\/p>",
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