Deformation pervasive, reform elusive

Deformation pervasive, reform elusive

Social unrest continues to terrorize the nation. It seems
endless and whole communities are on edge. Amid threats of
national disintegration, we asked Dr. H.S. Dillon, chairman of
the Coordinating Body for National Unity (Bakom PKB) and a member
of the National Commission on Human Rights, to place recent
events in perspective.

Question: Why does there appear to be a breakdown in national
unity ?

Dillon: This a complex issue, but in our case I would say that
centralization and unbridled greed in all walks of life are the
major factors. The imperial center shows very little regard for
the regions, extracting so much from them while giving them very
little in return. Often, regional communities feel that they are
not being treated as equals, but are regarded more as enemies to
be exterminated. Now, with a much-weakened center, they are
mounting an offensive for a greater say. They are demanding
greater control over their own futures.

Q: Surely things have changed under the reform Cabinet?

D: That is a misnomer because since Soeharto was forced to step
aside deformation has been much more dominant than reformation.
That is why everywhere one sees misshapen institutions and norms,
whose natural shapes have been altered by pressures and stresses,
while the correction of errors, the removal of defects and the
abandonment of irresponsible and immoral practices remains
elusive.

Q: Could you be more specific?

D: Yes, but where should one begin? Let's just begin with the
Cabinet. Although many of the ministers say in private that even
Gorbachev was a staunch communist before launching glasnost, the
people know how corrupt some of them have been. These ministers
are very crafty. Although they pretend to support the President,
they know that he does not have much of a chance in the
elections. Thus, you can see ministers issuing all sorts of
misguided directives, such as the export tax on crude palm oil;
positioning cronies in state-owned enterprises with a total
disregard for corporate governance. Thus, the council of
ministers has been further deformed by personal ambition. Some of
them are former Soeharto loyalists, while others are new
aspirants trying to accumulate funds and create their own
personal constituencies ahead of the upcoming elections.

Q: Are these practices limited to the Cabinet?

D: Unfortunately not. The ruling elite perseveres the old KKN
(corruption, collusion and nepotism) mind-set. Listening to the
comments and watching the antics of high ranking officials, it is
obvious that the offices of the President and the attorney
general are being reduced to communal fiefdoms, robbing them of
any remaining credibility. In the meantime, the law enforcers are
enjoying a windfall, summoning a string of citizens who were
'lucky' during the previous regime and managed to amass large
personal fortunes, without bringing any of them to trial. The
businessmen, many of them former rent-seekers now donning the
garb of cooperatives, are having a last hurrah trying to make as
much as possible by jumping on the bandwagon of the people's
economy while the inept and corrupt bureaucrats are still in
place. Other leaders? They continue to incite the people, pitting
brother against brother, playing upon divisive instincts for
their own purposes, demonstrating total disregard for national
unity.

Q: What do you think of the Armed Forces, and what role will they
play in the future?

D: They need to engage in a great deal of soul-searching and make
a major effort to transform themselves. For a start, they should
no longer issue public orders to shoot on sight. Even criminals
have rights, and as law-abiding citizens we all have to respect
due process. Soldiers can not continue to be judge and jury,
meting out death sentences at will. While their troops are seen
to be no more disciplined than armed vigilantes, it will be
difficult for the generals to play a constructive role in the
nation's future. The honest and nationalistic officers among them
should spearhead an effort to look for the truth behind the gross
violations of human rights in Aceh, Irian Jaya, Jakarta and East
Timor. They should also try to heal wounds through a process of
national reconciliation and stay in the forefront of the reform
movement toward democratization. Only by transforming themselves
back into the "People's Army" founded by General Sudirman will
they be able to find a respectable place in the new Indonesia.

Q: What hope is there for Indonesia's future?

D: I have great hope. I am confident that our people will rise to
overcome this daunting challenge, as they have done many times in
the past. We need enlightened leaders to mount such a response,
but I am sure that this catastrophic learning experience will
produce such leadership. Just look at the courage shown by our
children, the students, who have sacrificed even their lives.
They have been very strong in resisting efforts by traditional
power brokers to maintain the status quo by spreading dissension
among their ranks. Fear not, our students are the real
Indonesians, placing national interests ahead of their own. They
are the bearers of the torch, and they will keep the 1945 flame
alive.