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.