Church bodies join campaign to combat corruption

Church bodies join campaign to combat corruption

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) has joined other
religious groups in stating their commitment to take on part of
the responsibility in combating corruption.

The Indonesian Bishops Council (KWI), representing Catholics,
and earlier the country's two largest Islamic organizations
Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, had voiced similar commitment
for the campaign.

PGI chairman Nathan Setiabudi said the movement would involve
combating corruption at all levels ranging from executives and
members of PGI itself to the country's politicians.

Anti-corruption fighters such as Teten Masduki of the
Indonesian Corruption Watch has said the efforts involving the
country's two largest Islamic organizations would be the "last
resort". He cited their vital role to change ingrained, pervasive
cultural values that lead to permissiveness towards corruption in
the world's largest Islamic country.

Nathan said that rampant corruption and "money politics" have
become topics in a series of PGI meetings, including its latest
plenary meeting in October and he emphasized that he would start
the "moral movement" within the organization first, while "other
people around us will also learn (of the issue)."

"During our plenary meeting, we expressed concerns about
rampant nepotism, collusion and corruption because such practices
have hampered the country's efforts towards economic and
political recovery.

"We (the PGI leaders) also concluded that people are actually
ready to combat the improper practices, but, of course, without a
strong commitment and political will from the government, the
problems will remain," Nathan said on the sidelines of a seminar
on martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

The priest said that PGI supported the movement recently
promoted by NU and Muhammadiyah.

The latter organizations, in cooperation with a non
governmental organization, the Partnership for Governance Reform
in Indonesia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work
together to fight corruption.

Leaders Hasyim Muzadi from NU and Sjafii Maarif from
Muhammadiyah also agreed to publish a handbook on an Islamic
interpretation of corruption.

KWI has urged its Catholic followers to vote only for
candidates with clean track records during the elections next
year, regardless of religious or political affiliation.

KWI Chairman Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja said that Catholics
in Indonesia "are responsible to develop a clean government,
despite our status as a minority."

Ahead of next year's general elections, KWI will also issue
guidelines to provide Catholic followers with a clear background
of the basic problems facing the country, including money
politics, huge foreign debts and environmental destruction.

Analysts have said that despite any attempt at "reform," the
old diseases of money politics and nepotism would remain the main
problems surrounding the 2004 general elections.

Nathan said, "I believe that combating corruption in all its
forms is not as easy as we say because the practices have
developed and now infiltrate every system in the country ... just
like an octopus."

He added that "only strong leaders with strong commitment
would be able to mobilize the public to oppose the malfeasance."