Beneficial criticism
Beneficial criticism
Some statements issued by Armed Forces (ABRI) leaders over the
past few days have brought a welcome whiff of fresh air to the
present crisis-burdened atmosphere.
It is not so much because the statements appear to suggest
growing room for free expression in this country but because they
could be indicative of a growing political maturity on all sides.
Saturday's reported message from Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, the Armed Forces Chief of Political Affairs, to Amien
Rais, chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Islamic
organization, must have come as somewhat of a (welcome) surprise
to quite a number of people.
During a meeting "of the brains and the hearts" at Sheraton
Mustika Hotel in Yogyakarta last week, Gen. Yudhoyono was
reported to have told Amien not to stop vocalizing his critical
views for the good of the nation.
In the meeting, which lasted for about 90 minutes, Amien and
Yudhoyono, accompanied by their respective entourages, exchanged
analyses on the current situation in Indonesia.
And, in Amien's account, arrived at the conclusion that,
basically, the Armed Forces leaders held similar views to
intellectuals with regard to what kind of measures were needed to
cope with the present crisis.
Because of this common perception, ABRI will not prevent the
intellectuals from being critical.
"I see that there is a strong will on the part of ABRI to
listen to the people and heed their aspirations. This is why ABRI
is asking intellectuals to keep on being critical, making
corrections for the good of the nation," Amien told reporters
afterwards.
Earlier in the week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo
Hadisiswoyo, praised Amien for his "mature and wise" criticism of
the government.
The essential points of Amien's criticism of the government
should, by now, be well enough known to the public. In their
barest essence, his demands include the establishment of a clean
government which is accountable to the public and a more open and
elegant system of leadership recruitment and power sharing.
In the context of these developments, a little news item
published in the daily newspaper Kompas a few days ago deserves
to be noted.
The report mentioned that at a meeting in Bandung earlier in
the week, Amien cautioned his audience to exercise patience and
stay away from destructive acts of violence while continuing to
strive for a better, more open, society.
Asked by reporters why he appeared to be toning down the
fervor of his public criticism, Amien replied that he had become
convinced of ABRI's understanding of the situation.
Like most intellectuals, Amien said, ABRI realized that
reforms were needed. However, considering that hasty, reckless
measures would destroy the nation instead of help it, it was
determined to follow the path of gradual, calculated change
toward a more workable democratic system.
Amien, according to the report, not only accepted the
argument, but respected it.
It appears, then, that the gap that still seems to separate
the power establishment and the public at large is not
necessarily unbridgeable, wide as it may still seem at present.
If it is true that the developments mentioned signal a growing
maturity on all parts involved in the national debate about the
future of our democracy, then we appear to be on the right path.
The maturity to accept open and direct criticism in a spirit
of good sportsmanship on the one hand, and to know the generally
accepted limits of social and political liberties on the other,
is an essential prerequisite for a healthy democracy.
Healthy criticism is not synonymous with fault-finding, it
must also give due praise to whatever deserves to be praised.
Amien Rais's assurance that he would be the first to give his
support to President Soeharto if he succeeded in mending the
current situation within six months, may serve as an example.
For the sake of the healthy growth of our democracy, we hope
Indonesians can take the lessons of the past few days to heart.