Calls for criticism continue despite Soeharto's speech
Calls for criticism continue despite Soeharto's speech
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Three leading social scientists
yesterday graciously accepted President Soeharto's criticism of
their profession, but said it would not stop them criticizing the
government.
Political observer Riswandha Imawan of the Yogyakarta-based
Gadjah Mada University said here yesterday that Soeharto was
right on the uncertain nature of social sciences.
"Unlike physicians or engineers, social scientists cannot
offer solutions which last long because social phenomenon change
easily," Riswandha said.
Population development expert Sofian Effendi, who is an
assistant to Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie,
admitted that social scientists had been more like social critics
than academics.
Soeharto rapped social scientists over the knuckles Tuesday,
charging them of voicing unsubstantiated analysis of the unrest
that has rocked the country in recent months. He also criticized
them for analyzing past incidents while failing to come up with
solutions to prevent more upheaval.
Soeharto was speaking at the opening of an ongoing seminar
organized by the Indonesian Association for the Development of
Social Sciences.
Riswandha said social scientists could offer precise solutions
if respondents in their research felt free to talk about their
problems.
"The public has been kept away from political matters for too
long, and when the political openness was introduced they
remained cautious," he said.
He refuted Soeharto's statements that social scientists had
failed to anticipate social unrest.
"We have been discriminated against by the government. We
continuously provided the government with our suggestions, but
none were heeded because they only asked for technology experts'
and economists' views," he said.
The failure to take account social scientists' advice had
brought about policies which calculated economic and other
benefits but not social costs, he said.
Riswandha said Soeharto's warning might have been related to
the election, which he believed would serve as a gauge of the
public's trust in the political system.
He said a survey in Malang, East Java, had found that 92
percent of the town's youths had stated they would not vote on
May 29.
Another survey, conducted last year by Riswandha, found that
60 percent of Yogyakarta's youths did not want to go to the
polls.
Sofian said social scientists could function as critics, as
long as they furnished adequate data and evidence to support
their arguments.
He admitted that many social scientists identified problems
but failed to formulate solutions.
But Sofian accused the government of doing the same thing.
"Many public policies were made as short-term solutions without
touching the roots of problems," he said.
Sociologist Loekman Soetrisno speculated that Soeharto had
made his remarks because he had not been supplied with adequate
information on the development of social sciences in Indonesia.
He said the country had many qualified social scientists,
including those at the respected National Institute of Sciences.
"The problem is that there is a tendency among some groups in
society to judge critical attitudes as unprofessional," he said.
He acknowledged there might be cases where social scientists
had made inaccurate or groundless analysis, but there were many
who were professional. (amd/swa)