ICKI may go ahead, say leaders

JAKARTA (JP): The birth of the Association of Indonesian Nationalist Intellectuals (ICKI) has been greeted with a lack of enthusiasm by many national leaders.

Chairman of the powerful ICMI (Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals) B.J. Habibie and chairman of the ruling political group Golkar Harmoko said separately yesterday that they do not "object" to the establishment of the organization.

However, the did not express their support of the organization either.

"I support every organization with nationalistic orientations, those whose goals are to establish pious, skilled and qualified human resources," Habibie said.

"Organizations who don't have such characteristics don't belong here," he said. He added that he would not mind if ICMI members join the new organization.

Harmoko said that the establishment of ICKI was in line with the "Pancasila democracy" which respects plurality.

"Go ahead," he told reporters. "Golkar has no objection, as long as it doesn't violate the laws and regulations on organizations."

Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., on the other hand, gave a noncommittal response. When pressed by reporters whether he approved of the organization, he answered with the cryptic response, "The real situation? What do you think?".

Last week, Yogie has said that he saw no need for another intellectual organization, although there was no need to prohibit it either.

Yesterday he reiterated that, although the Constitution mandates freedom to form a group, there are five laws which they must be founded upon before people they can be established.

The leaders of ICKI have yet to register and request for permission, Yogie said, adding that the new organization would also be prohibited from engaging in political activities like its predecessor ICMI.

Stronger reaction

Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid, who is also known as among several intellectuals who were critical of ICMI, gave an even stronger reaction.

"I'm sure ICKI would only develop into yet another tool for some interest group," he told a discussion here yesterday. "I thank God that, even now, criticism is starting to pour in about the organization."

The Armed Forces (ABRI) does not object to the new organization "as long it comes out of the people's love for their country", according to ABRI chief of social and political affairs Lt. Gen. R. Hartono.

"If it's really established for the benefits of the nation, no problem," he said. "Let's not get suspicious too soon."

A more favorable reaction came from a non-governmental organization, Gerakan Masyarakat 17 Agustus 1945, who said that ICKI should live up to its name.

Chairman A.P. Batubara said in a statement yesterday that ICKI should really avoid focusing on the forces of race, religion and primitivism. "Race, religion and ethnic background should not be exploited to obtain positions of power..." he said.

Former cabinet minister Alamsyah Ratuperwiranegara was instrumental in the establishment of ICKI late last month, along with a number of intellectuals, including Prof. Sambas Wirakusuma and Madiri Thamrin Sianipar from the Jakarta-based Krisnadwipayana University. Alamsyah agreed that there was a need for a new intellectual coalition based on nationalism.

The first three organizations were founded on religious belief -- PIKI with a Christian orientation, ICMI with an Islamic orientation, and FCHI with a Hindu orientation.

Analysts believe that ICKI was the answer for a group of people who are increasingly concerned about the possibility of the emergence of sectarian, primordial political movements launched by members of the other intellectual organizations.

Others believe that ICKI is a manifestation of dissatisfaction with the other intellectual associations.

R. Hartono agreed that it is possible that Alamsyah and the others established ICKI because they felt that the existing intellectual organizations were inadequate.

However, Alamsyah, who is also member of ICMI's board of advisors, denied strongly that ICKI was created in opposition to the more senior organizations. "ICKI is not a competitor of ICMI," he said. "Habibie (chairman of ICMI) is my good friend...there is no conflict between us."

Alamsyah justified the establishment of ICKI on the grounds that "as one of the founding fathers of this republic, I feel I'm responsible to (maintain) national unity".

Alamsyah, who planned to meet President Soeharto to give a report on the new organization, rejected the suggestion that the formation of ICKI was a reaction to a decline in the national unity. (swe)