An appeal to respect nation's diversity

An appeal to respect nation's diversity

Kekayaan, agama dan kekuasaan, Identitas dan Konflik di Indonesia
(Timur) Modern (Wealth, religion and power, identity and conflict
in modern (eastern) Indonesia);
By P.M. Laksono et.al.;
Kanisius in cooperation with Realino Study Institute in
Yogyakarta, 1998;
154 pp + iii;
Rp 13,500

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The song Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke (from
Sabang to Merauke) reminds one of the expanse of the country,
from the westernmost town to the easternmost place in Indonesia.

However, perhaps only a few would take the trouble to think
about the song's title which reflects the striking distances and
differences between the areas of Sabang and Merauke.

Reference to the song and the image it portrays introduces us
to the first pages of the book, based on the results of a
workshop in Yogyakarta in 1996 on problems in Indonesia's eastern
provinces

Its introduction says it is aimed at reviewing the management
of wealth. The purpose of the management of wealth in eastern
Indonesia, it argues, "should not necessarily mean the
impoverishment and enmity toward those who want to be different
from uniformed modernity."

A quote from a local sums up the tensions in the drive to
modernization: "before receiving assistance and being loved as
the poor, we want to be recognized and accepted as 'others,' as
different ..."

The experts contributing to the book are anthropologist P.M.
Laksono, missionary Theo van den Broek, and researchers at the
Realino Study Institute in Yogyakarta, Budi Susanto and A. Made
Tony Supriatma.

The writers highlight historical developments leading to
current conditions in eastern Indonesia and display their insight
into basic assumptions sometimes referred to as "Jakarta ideas".

They give examples as to how assumptions, mainly those
regarding the necessity to make Irian Jaya, for instance, "catch
up" with the rest of the country, are propagated by civilian and
military officials and even academia.

Exploitation, as perceived by the concerned scholars,
generally acts in the name of development or modernization of
eastern Indonesia. Local culture is often seen as an obstacle
instead of part of the wealth of the country's cultural
diversity.

Each chapter reflects the writers' conviction that these ideas
are wrong and will forever worsen conditions in the area.

For government people, eastern areas have been considered one
of the best "test sites" for career promotion. Inhospitable
terrain with communities far-flung from central authorities pose
a challenge to officials. If they succeed, they could well be
promoted or transferred to a more developed region, usually to
Java or somewhere in western Indonesia.

From the business point of view, the eastern islands are
certainly a fertile and competitive area for investors. A number
of foreign companies were pioneers long ago and many of them are
now reaping the harvest. PT Freeport Indonesia boosted its
business through the exploitation of copper and gold at Timika.

The Conoco oil company, in cooperation with Ingold, has
expanded its wings in search of oil and minerals. Indonesia's
eastern part is also coveted by many companies for its riches in
wood. Two big plywood companies have been established in Sorong
and Biak, while in the coastal areas of Fak-fak regency similar
companies have arisen.

Memberamo was planned to be made into a hi-tech and large-
scale industrial region. According to B.J. Habibie, then minister
of research and technology, the Memberamo region was ideal to be
made a blueprint for the development of industries requiring huge
amounts of energy, like steel, aluminum and fiber.

The exploitation of the riches of Indonesia's eastern
provinces is not only focused on natural resources. Under the
flags of Visit Indonesia Year and Visit ASEAN Year, the cultural
communities of Asmat, Baliem and Kei are examples of nonnatural
wealth exposed to tourists.

Interests behind "exploitation" make international news. One
was the 1 percent trust fund given by PT Freeport to surrounding
communities which became a lengthy conflict among ethnic groups,
resulting in a number of deaths among locals in Timika.

With the purpose of launching the government's efforts for
"uniformity", the writers say, religious institutions hold an
important role as a go-between for the interests of the "center"
against the wishes of the local community. In general, the local
community has great trust in religious institutions.

Van den Broek, chairman of the socio-economic committee of the
Jayapura diocese, writes of the dilemmas of the church and how
its role slowly changed into reflecting more sensitivity to the
diversity of its surroundings.

Also interesting is the attached list of commodities including
those in the hands of a few well-connected private business
groups. The writers say the list at the end of the book is an
extra reminder that such monopolies should not be repeated in
eastern Indonesia.

-- Widya Prasetyanti

The writer is a social worker in Yogyakarta.