Govt encourages sectarian politics
Govt encourages sectarian politics
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The way the government has been treating the
Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) as one of
its political support bases has contributed to the re-emergence
of sectarian politics in Indonesia, a political observer said
yesterday.
Fachry Ali of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI)
pinned the birth of ICMI in 1990 as the starting point of the
return of sectarian politics in the country.
"ICMI has triggered cultural rivalry and prompted sectarian
politics which were once popular," Fachry said when addressing a
Ramadhan gathering at the Gadjah Mada University here on Monday.
The discussion titled Analysis on contemporary sectarian
politics in Indonesia also featured Mochtar Pabottingi of LIPI
and Sugiyono, a Gadjah Mada staff lecturer.
Fachry said the government's decision to "adopt" ICMI has
inevitably provoked emotional reactions from other groups in
society, who in turn set up their own sectarian organizations.
The establishment of the Association of the Intellectuals for
Pancasila Development (PCPP), Masyumi and the Indonesian National
Unity (PNI), all founded last year, are cases in point, he said.
ICMI is chaired by B.J. Habibie, the state minister of
research and technology, and a close confidante of President
Soeharto. ICMI has appointed Soeharto as chairman of its board of
patrons and numerous cabinet ministers have been given senior
positions in its board of executives.
Under Habibie, ICMI has grown in political influence as is
apparent with its strong representation in the cabinet, in the
House of Representatives and in Golkar, the dominant political
group.
Fachry said the 1990s are witnessing the emergence of santri,
(devout Moslems) in the power center, so that they are no longer
considered marginal groups, he said.
"Because of their enormous number and their similarities to
the priyayi groups in the past, santri has a lot of services and
views to offer to the bureaucracy," Fachry said.
Priyayi is the elite Javanese class who played a key role in
ancient and modern politics in Indonesia.
ICMI's easy access to the bureaucracy has worried people
outside the organization. They try to balance this by grouping
themselves, Fachry said.
"The sprouting sectarian organizations show how cultural
differences easily turned into political rivalry," he added.
Mochtar Pabottingi said, however, that politics anywhere in
the world is motivated by sectarian interests, such as ethnicity
and religion.
"But we should be wary of sectarian politics which can develop
such that it threatens national unity," he said.
He said ICMI does not threaten national unity because the
grassroots' political participation is tightly controlled by the
government.
"Besides, all political and mass organizations have agreed to
make the state ideology Pancasila their sole principle," Mochtar
said. (har/pan)