Freedom more important than peace: YLBHI

JAKARTA (JP): Freedom remains illusive as Indonesia marks its 52nd independence anniversary tomorrow, the chairman of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) said yesterday.

Bambang Widjojanto said Independence Day was an occasion to remind the nation that "we still have a problem with independence to this day".

Freedom, Bambang said in an Independence Day statement, was an absolute condition for a nation to maintain its existence.

"Philosophically, freedom is recognized as a basis to build a sovereign government, prosperity and international relations and other political affairs," he said.

He cited the political slogan "We Love Peace, but We Love Independence More" echoed by Indonesia's founding fathers during the independence struggle in the 1940s.

"This is true. There can't be eternal peace as long as there is still oppression and tyrannical rule.

"Can there be real peace without independence?" he asked.

Bambang said that freedom and independence are important principles that must be upheld.

"As long as there is no freedom, there can't be eternal development or eternal harmonious coexistence," he said.

Bambang said that in a post-colonial contemporary sociopolitical concept, freedom and independence become an important matter in the relations between power holders and the people.

He refuted the concept, often used by government officials, that freedom was derived from "Western" or "liberal" ideas and therefore ran counter to nationalism.

Since they are founded on people's sovereignty, freedom and democracy are universal values, he said.

"A government that rejects democracy is opposed to people's sovereignty. It then becomes a government with absolute power.

"People's sovereignty then gives way to a ruler's sovereignty, a personal sovereignty: l'etat c'est moi," Bambang said. (10/emb)