Frustration and laziness behind new pro-democracy group
Frustration and laziness behind new pro-democracy group
JAKARTA (JP): The formation of a new pro-democracy group, the
United Democratic People (PRD), which the authorities have
quickly declared illegal, reflects societal dissatisfaction with
the existing political groups, a political observer says.
Juwono Sudarsono, dean of the University of Indonesia's
School of Social and Political Sciences, said he understands why
a group of student and non-governmental organization (NGOs)
activists established the organization on Monday.
"I think, it reflects efforts to voice public demands which
they (the activists) think cannot be accommodated by the existing
(sanctioned) groupings," he said yesterday.
However, Juwono said that formation of the group reveals a
widespread "laziness" in society.
It is easier for some people to just establish a political
movement rather than meeting the challenge of building a strong
organization out of an existing party, he said.
He said the current political structure and the sanctioned
political groups are adequately open and provide wide enough
latitude for people to voice their political aspirations.
"It's just that people tend to be impatient and want a quick
fix," he said. "There is a kind of laziness to follow through the
existing structure of democracy."
The impatience is one of the reasons a number of people
established social political groups or movement "in the name of
spontaneity and openness", he said. "However, are these groups
effective?"
"Impatient" action such as the establishing of PRD is easier
to take than to diligently handle the detailed organizational
works such as recruitment, subscription, and holding meetings for
policy making, he said.
Democratization
A group of students and NGO activists announced the
establishment of the PRD on Monday, saying they were aware of the
risks they face.
"This is not a party, this is a grouping of those ... people
who want to encourage the process of democratization in
Indonesia," said chairman Sugeng Bahagijo.
Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security Soesilo
Soedarman said the government would not recognize the group.
"PRD is a political movement and therefore could not be
recognized by the government," he said.
Asked whether the authorities would take action, Soesilo
retorted, "It's like a car. Are you going to let go a car which
has no proper papers?"
"If the new organization is political in nature, then it
violates the law," according to Soetojo NK, the Home Affairs
Ministry's Director-general for Social Political Affairs.
The Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) yesterday countered the
government claim declaring PRD to be illegal.
"Such statements are premature and show a lack of sensitivity
about the society's political dynamics demanding more
articulation and accommodation," it said in a statement signed by
its leaders Adnan Buyung Nasution and Mulyana W. Kusumah. (swe)