Democracy and motorbike elitism

Motorcycle gangs are a regular feature of Bintaro, in southwestern Jakarta. They thunder their way along the main street rending the air with the sound of their small-engine bikes, particularly on Saturday nights.

However, the other day, at around 3 p.m., I encountered a new type of motorcycle gang. This one was relatively small with about 25 participants; but, strangely, a police car, lights flashing and siren wailing, escorted it.

You might think that perhaps this particular motorcycle gang needed escorting to prevent it becoming a danger to the public -- but not so.

The escort was there to shoo aside motorists in order to allow the motorcycle gang to pass unhindered. As it swept past, any motorist not submitting to the shooing was stared down and rudely gestured at by the riders. Here was a motorcycle gang with official approbation.

It was evident, however, and not just because of the police escort, that this was no ordinary motorcycle gang. All the bikes were large-engine Harley Davidsons, BMWs, Ducatis and the like, and the riders were clad in imported leather suits from head to toe. These were rich kids out displaying their expensive toys under police escort.

In this era of reform and economic hardship, one wonders whether this -- which smacks of arrogant, elitist, ostentatious feudalism, with official backing -- is really appropriate.

Furthermore, is it not worrying that Indonesian motorists simply accept being pushed aside like flies in this way for no apparent reason?

How can democracy really take root when such attitudes prevail? Democracy and the rule of law will only come to Indonesia when the privileged cease to be above the law, and the underprivileged understand that it is essential they insist on their rights for the betterment of the nation of which they are an important part.

While one section of society passively submits and fails to play a constructive role, all the "free and fair" elections of the next millennium will do little to foster real democracy in Indonesia.

Ordinary Indonesians too often see themselves as nothing more than pawns in the process of creating a nation. They need to take upon their shoulders individual responsibility for the constructive development of their society, rather than act as serfs who passively submit until circumstances conspire to allow them to vent their anger in a destructive way.

Indonesia over the past three decades has been a product of the mentality of all its people, just as the Indonesia of tomorrow will be. It is far too easy to abdicate responsibility and place the blame on one man. Instead, all Indonesians should take responsibility for the past and ensure they now have a decisive hand in molding the future.

Together, decide on what kind of Indonesia you want your children to live in, and then go out and actively make it happen, together.

FRANK RICHARDSON

Jakarta