Does history repeat itself?

Does history repeat itself?

The birth of new organizations continues with the setting up of Majelis Syarikat Ummat Muslimin Indonesia (Masyumi) last week. Many of these groups bear acronyms similar or identical to well- known political parties of the past. Political analyst J. Soedjati Djiwandono looks at this phenomenon.

JAKARTA (JP): Recent developments in the socio-political life of the nation seem to be symptoms of deep seated problems. New mass organizations that initially appear to emphasize non- sectarian orientations, despite their denials, appear to be rising from the graves of defunct Islamic, Christian and nationalist political parties.

This does not necessarily create immediate political confusion among the public. Perhaps nobody sees these groups as having much of a direct influence on the Indonesian political scene in the foreseeable future. Their emergence seems simply to constitute the assertion of democratic rights, particularly freedom of expression and assembly, which have been curtailed over the past years. One can easily recall the case of an attempt to set up a new federation of trade unions and the persecution of certain founding members of the Independent Journalists' Alliance (AJI) with its unlicensed but still surviving publication.

However, the emergence of these organizations could be a symptom of a much more serious problem. It may well be that the nation is experiencing a crisis of confidence. The public is apparently losing faith in state institutions. For some time a loss of confidence in the representative bodies, particularly the House of Representatives and the political parties, has been apparent. There are also doubts about the independence of the courts of justice, although in the case of Tempo magazine, the courts have proven they can take a courageous independent stance. And public outcries have been heard against statements made by government leaders on certain issues.

Some of the causes for this situation are not hard to uncover. Confusion seems to prevail not only among the public but among high-ranking government circles. There is obviously lack of coordination among cabinet ministers and military leaders, which reflects ambivalence and split opinions regarding certain issues. This may confuse the people. It raises the question of who really speaks for the government, or the Armed Forces, as a whole?

More importantly, the authorities seem to be losing self confidence. Government leaders are becoming touchy and defensive. Criticisms tend to be rejected off hand irrespective of merit. There is a growing tendency for officials to seek out scapegoats, however imaginary, for so many wrongs, some of which may be the result of their own doing.

Thus, in the midst of recent praise from abroad for the achievements of the New Order regime, some of which may be genuine and not without foundation, the authorities have been overly concerned with the possibility of a negative image of the country, particularly as relates to the issues of human rights, democratic freedom and social justice. Blame is readily placed on communists, non-governmental organizations, or the groups that have been dubbed "formless organizations", as well as nameless "traitors", who are said to be telling "lies" overseas to discredit the government and to discourage further assistance for Indonesia.

Indeed, the implications of the globalization of communication systems, borderless states and a more open world, with the advent of e-mail and internet as some of its manifestations, seem to remain beyond the grasp of the generation in power. One is reminded of the period of revolution for national independence, when the label "Dutch spies" often victimized innocent people, or of the post-independence years under president Sukarno, when the branding of people as agents of neo-colonialism and imperialism would suffice to terrorize political dissidents.

In light of the current situation, one cannot help but ask: Could it be that history really does repeat itself?

The writer is a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta.