Where are you going?<\/p>\n
I believe that like almost everybody in this country and like
\nmost non-Indonesian observers, I was (and I am still) glad when
\nGus Dur and Megawati were elected and took the helm of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
However, I also believe that most of us started to have doubts
\nwhen the government, with the way the Cabinet was constituted,
\nwas clearly leaving no place for a real political opposition
\nconducive to the development of a real democratic opposition. As
\na result Indonesian people were confused upon hearing people in
\nthe government criticize this very same government.<\/p>\n
Maybe it would be wise for the National Mandate Party (PAN),
\nthe United Development Party (PPP), the Justice Party (PK) and
\neven the Golkar Party (seemingly divided in two camps like PAN)
\nto quit the government to form a real political opposition.<\/p>\n
These doubts became stronger when President Abdurrahman Wahid
\n(or Gus Dur) said that he wanted to allow a referendum in Aceh.
\nWe all thought that it was to be the type of referendum that the
\nAcehnese wanted it and we started to say that it would be a
\nmistake and that we would prefer to see the development of a
\nfederal state in Indonesia. Then Gus Dur said the referendum
\nwould only be on the preponderance of Islamic law in the Acehnese
\nprovince, confusing the issue in and outside Aceh because his
\ndecision would satisfy nobody.<\/p>\n
And now he says that the use of force could come back into the
\npicture, only few days after his aides were saying that it was
\nnot the solution to the Acehnese problem. Well, top Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) thinkers are certainly enjoying this U-turn, and
\npeople of the same opinion as Pak Soegih Arto can continue to
\ndefend the importance of having a strong military presence in the
\nprovince. But to do what?<\/p>\n
If the military is to solve the Acehnese problem, we know that
\nin the past it did not help at all. I am also wondering why the
\nIndonesian media reports so much about the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM). It looks like some groups (certainly close to TNI, who
\ncould that be otherwise?) have an interest to hold up the so-
\ncalled importance of that paramilitary organization to allow it
\nback into the picture. Even undereducated Acehnese watch TV and
\nthey will think that GAM is important for them. The government of
\nIndonesia (as any democratic government) is not supposed to even
\ntalk to a bloody movement which is not democratic in its essence.<\/p>\n
Doubts about Gus Dur's government have now further increased
\nwith the rather unexpected decision to close down state schools
\nduring Ramadhan and until Jan. 16 without doing preliminary
\nconsultations with the people (who are not all Muslims). For all
\nIndonesian Muslim families from the lowest levels of civil
\nsociety this was not a wise decision, because, for these
\nfamilies, it was good to have their children busy learning at
\nschool during Ramadhan instead of having them on the streets
\ndoing nothing. We would certainly be glad to hear from both the
\nMinistry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs about
\nwhat they will concretely propose to these Muslim students to
\nimprove their religious ethics and morality.<\/p>\n
Before deciding such a policy, a study could have been led by
\nprominent sociologists (Muslim and non-Muslim) to analyze the
\nvalidity and the benefits of such a policy in Indonesia. I see
\none danger in this decision, it could create segregation among
\nschools on religious grounds and this is needs to be ascertained.
\nThat could result in further religious segregation and
\nmisunderstandings in civil society, and these are already big
\nenough in some areas such as Maluku, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
YVAN MAGAIN<\/p>\n
Bandung<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/where-are-you-going-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }