'Forced uniformity killing sense of nationhood'

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite its achievements, the latest being the endorsement by the People's Consultative Assembly of the fourth batch of amendments, the reform movement that began in 1998 has also created problems, the most significant being the threat of disintegration.

There is concern that Indonesians are growing apart as regions demand greater autonomy and different ethnic groups are drawn toward exclusivism. A new paradigm has been born, rejecting all that is not native to a land. The Riau people, for example, succeeded in their demand that the top job in the oil business in the province be given to a native Riau person.

These trends may be seen as a sign of a weakening sense of nationalism that is a result of injustice and repression in the past. Indonesia therefore needs a new approach in nation-building efforts to strengthen the sense of nationhood among its citizens. Only through a strong sense of nationhood will Indonesians be able to accept the country's multiethnicity and diverse cultures.

"Maybe we could start by reintroducing the country as a multi- nation state because Indonesia is actually an incorporation of nations," noted sociologist Ignas Kleden told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

According to Ignas, contrary to common belief, the Javanese, Acehnese, Sundanese, Banjar and Bone people can actually be categorized as nationalities rather than ethnic groups, which they have been known as.

The cultures of these "nations" were erroneously treated as local cultures within the framework of a national culture of Indonesia instead of distinct national cultures, with the Javanese culture dominating the others, he said.

"We should replace the (Indonesian) national culture with national cultures," he said.

Ignas suggested a multicultural approach be applied in national education, an approach that would provide space and respect for the different cultures.

The New Order regime of president Soeharto, who ruled with an iron-fist for 32 years, was widely blamed for the chaotic nation- building efforts.

Soeharto, who concentrated on economic development at the expense of nation-building, stressed uniformity amid diversity of cultures in Indonesia. The forced uniformity has led to resistance from the different cultures that are determined not to be sidelined.

The ongoing crisis and interethnic and interreligious conflicts in many parts of the country are also an eye-opener to the fact that Indonesia is far from being a solid nation.

However, he acknowledged that Indonesia had already become a nation even though the feeling of nationhood is still flat.

"There is an awareness, albeit a vague one, that Indonesia is a nation. It's because we have failed in our nation-building efforts."

The prolonged conflicts have also triggered fears that Indonesia could break up into pieces.

"Probably we could still remain a nation incorporated into four or five states," German-educated Ignas said, suggesting that a federal system could be an alternative to the unitary system, given Indonesia's geographic vastness.