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.