Albright's optimism
Albright's optimism
Fair is fair. There is no denying that since the downfall of
president Soeharto some significant improvements in human rights
and democracy have been made under the fallen autocrat's
successor, B.J. Habibie. For example, the press is freer to
deliver meaningful and even critical information and analyses to
the public. Freedom of expression is officially recognized,
although certain acts, such as the public airing of grievances,
are still subject to restrictions in order "to protect other
people's rights and to ensure public order". However, the right
of association was acknowledged by the revocation of Soeharto era
restrictions which forbade the free formation of political
parties and unions.
Most important, a general election is scheduled to be held on
June 7 under new laws and regulations designed -- as far as
current political conditions allow -- to assure a free and open
ballot. Not surprisingly, the promise of a free general election,
made by President Habibie during discussions with United States
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, was the point which seemed
to have most impressed the visiting American dignitary. "The
sense that I got from talking to the President is that he is
obviously devoted to having this happen -- a free and fair and
open election," Albright said after the meeting.
Given the positive changes which have occurred since Soeharto
stepped down in May last year after 32 years in power, Albright's
optimism certainly is not entirely misplaced. Nevertheless, a few
reservations to balance her optimism would not be inappropriate.
Albright must be aware that not even one of the most flagrant
violations of human rights committed not only during Soeharto's
regime, but also during President Habibie's administration has
been satisfactorily resolved. Consider, for example, the
kidnaping of political activists; the violent takeover of the
Indonesian Democratic Party headquarters and the resulting riots
on June 27, 1997; the May 12 to May 13 riots which led to
Soeharto's downfall; the Trisakti and Semanggi shootings; the
killings in Aceh and East Timor; and the continuing killings in
Ambon.
Since President Habibie came to power, some political
prisoners have been released. However, the government still seems
to be following in the footsteps of its predecessor by releasing
only those prisoners it considers "safe", while continuing to
keep other, more feared, political prisoners locked up. In other
words, the release of political prisoners under the current
administration appears to be guided more by the necessity of
appeasing critics than by principle. Whether or not this is the
case, such an impression does not reassure Indonesians about the
government's sincerity in pushing through meaningful reforms.
As for the upcoming elections, many observers doubt that they
will usher in a truly democratic government, in spite of the
government's promises. The problem is that even while the voting
may be fair and open, government-appointed "representatives",
including those from the Armed Forces, will continue to make up a
sizable part of the People's Consultative Assembly, the nation's
highest legislative body. Thus, the upcoming general election
does not necessarily guarantee greater democracy in the near
future. Instead, the status quo could very well be maintained in
one form or the other. If this happens, the nation could regress,
losing any democratic gains it had made and witnessing a return
to authoritarianism.
Therefore, while we appreciate Secretary of State Albright's
optimism and pledge of American support for the cause of
democracy in Indonesia, such faith may be premature. The best
Indonesia can do for the present is to make every effort to
ensure that the gains we have made are not lost. Then we can say
that Albright's optimism was justified.