ICKI may go ahead, say leaders

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)