Free Sulawesi: A threat or a joke?

Free Sulawesi: A threat or a joke?

By Jupriadi

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): For a week, between Oct. 19 and
Oct. 26, Makassar was rocked by continuous student demonstrations
demanding the establishment of a free state of Sulawesi.

"God willing, in the shortest time possible a Free Sulawesi
State and an Eastern Indonesian State will be declared! We,
students from Makassar, declare our freedom," read a banner
strung atop the tower of Mandala Monument, a location often
crowded with thousands of students.

This monument, which was erected to commemorate the struggle
of securing West Irian (now Irian Jaya) from the Dutch, has
become a rallying point for free Sulawesi activists.

It was also at this spot on Oct. 22, 1999, at 11.15 a.m. local
time, the Indonesian red and white flag was lowered, and replaced
by a Free Sulawesi flag -- an outline of Sulawesi Island in red
inside a white circle on a green background.

As the Indonesian flag was lowered students sang the national
anthem, however with the words "Indonesia raya" (greater
Indonesia) replaced with "Sulawesi merdeka" (free Sulawesi).

When students first clamored for an independent Sulawesi
state, pioneered by those from Makassar University (UNM) and
Makassar Muhamadiyah University (UMM), they were the laughing
stock of most of Makassar city.

Most considered it a silly joke, and many cynically regarded
it as a reaction to provincial hero B.J. Habibie's failure to be
reelected as president.

However, students were quick to justify their "uprising".

Amiluddin, head of the students' senate at the engineering
school of Makassar Muhamadiyah University, maintained that the
Habibie issue was the decisive spark, but not the definitive
cause of the calls for independence.

"This demand is a reaction to the political, economic, social
and cultural injustices that students from Indonesia's eastern
regions have been subjected to. This is not the first time that
we have voiced this demand," he told The Jakarta Post here
recently.

Buttressed by nonstop street rallies at the end of October,
the movement captured the imagination of the local community as
the rallies grew larger.

The provincial council building was practically under siege,
reminiscent of when students in Jakarta crowded the national
legislature in May 1998.

For those brief few days at the end of October, the students
also took command of several strategic locations, including the
Makassar seaport.

Worried over the security implications of the mobilization of
such a mass of people, Makassar Police chief Col. Aryanto
Boedihardjo declared a curfew in the city.

"Thank God, they did not resort to anarchy and we, too,
maintained our persuasive approach," Aryanto said.

Tool

But after the euphoria had subsided, cooler heads began to
closely examine the validity of these demands, and in the end saw
little reward in an independent state.

Taslim Arifin, an economic and political observer at
Hasanuddin University here, said in terms of natural resources,
the demand for an independent state was a significant political
bargaining tool.

But realistically if activists went ahead with the
establishment of a free Sulawesi state or a free Eastern
Indonesia state, it would only result in establishing a country
that would be immediately added to the list of the world's
poorest countries.

Students involved in organizations which span the whole
archipelago are also wary of these calls for independence.

The Indonesian Association of Islamic Students (PMII), known
as a political training ground for Nahdlatul Ulama University
cadres, called on their colleagues to maintain allegiance to the
unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

"For the sake of the emergence of a new Indonesia, allow us to
call upon all social groups to avoid any separatism," said
Saifullah, field coordinator of the association at IAIN Alauddin,
Makassar.

Isawry Al Farisy, chairman of the Students' Consultative
Assembly at UNM conceded that some may have differing views on a
free Sulawesi, however, he said just as detractors wish to have
their views respected, those who support an independent state
must also be heard.

"Our movement is actually geared towards forcing a substantial
overhaul of the state structure and government. It is not only
intended for short-term political interests. In this way we can
overcome social, political and economic injustices," he told the
Post.

"In essence we demand equality".

Rectors of Makassar's major universities -- R.A. Gany of
Hasanuddin University, Muin Alim of IAIN, Masyur Ramli of UMM and
Idris Arif of UNM -- also noted the movement should be seen as a
push for justice in the operations of the state.

The four rectors said they generally supported the students'
actions because the movement was essentially a reminder to the
nation that the reform process is not yet complete.

Therefore, the demand for the establishment of a free sulawesi
state, which later widened to an Eastern Indonesian state, is no
joke at all.

Yet, neither it is a threat. It is a movement to highlight
that Indonesia's eastern regions have, historically, been
neglected.