If Kwik can be intimidated, what about the rest of us?

Ong Hock Chuan, Consultant, Maverick, Jakarta

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) stalwart Kwik Kian Gie has had to eat crow over his remarks that the party is the most corrupt party in Indonesia. Many of his critics would say that these are just desserts: Kwik must simply realize that nobody approves of someone who keeps kicking the ball into their own goal.

His challenged self-realization capacity notwithstanding Kwik must nonetheless have struck a common cord among anyone who's had to manage a high profile business or project in Indonesia when he said that, "we are more afraid of PDI Perjuangan members than Police Mobile Brigade officers, because of the threats of mass demonstrations if their requests are tuned down."

Whether this is true of PDI Perjuangan members is debatable, but what is important is the sense of helplessness in his statement. If someone like Kwik, who is a Cabinet member and one of the President's most trusted lieutenants can be intimidated by people who wield "people power" as an instrument of silencing their critics, what about the rest of us?

As someone whose job is to help organizations and companies manage issues and crisis-like situations this author can attest that this feeling of helplessness is endemic in Indonesia and not only affects Indonesian individuals and companies but multinational corporations and organizations as well.

They all share Kwik's sense of helplessness against the bullies who claim to have "people power" behind them. Among these people are, for example, a conglomerate boss who has a compelling and convincing story of persecution and unfair treatment to tell. But he would not do so because he feels that it would only court the wrath of the "people power" bullies.

There is also the NGO that has an important mission of educating the public about reproductive health and contraception but is stymied by the fear that the people power bullies would accuse them of promoting promiscuity and immoral sex and mobilize demonstrators against them.

Their fear is understandable but unjustified. By accepting that they are unable to go against the will of the people power bullies they have inadvertently made themselves soft targets.

Soft and hard targets began life as military terms. A hard target mans business. If you hit them you can be sure that they will hit back, and often harder. Israel, for instance, falls into this category. You've got to be really though if you want to take them on.

In contrast, soft targets are easy prey. You can hit them over and over again and all they do is lie down and accept more of the same. They do not retaliate. Think of the wimpy boy in school who constantly gets picked on by the school bullies. President Megawati, Indonesia's erstwhile conglomerate bosses, most well- meaning and genteel corporations and organizations fall into this category.

What soft targets do not realize is that the world has changed and Indonesia has changed. For all its imperfections, democracy has been loosed on this country. The mass media may have its faults but by and large they are free.

And by being free they have fundamentally tilted the balance of power from the people power bullies to those who are know how to court and win public opinion because that is where the ultimate seat of power lies: Not with the rent-a-crowd people but the silent majority that is dying to make themselves heard.

With the skillful engagement of the mass media an organization or corporation can not only turn the tables on the bullies; it can actually "enlist" the help of the media to shape public opinion. This is no mere theoretical framework. It can be done and has been done.

For instance, a professional services firm was last year faced unfounded charges by a quasi-government authority that was headed by high profile individuals who have somehow cultivated a reputation for speaking on behalf of the people.

For weeks they were at the mercy of these individuals who had but to make a call and the media would be at hand because of their status in society.

Realizing that they had to do something or see their reputation eroded to the point of no return, they decided to fight back and took the authority to court. They were confident of winning the case on legal grounds but when they assessed the state of the judiciary they quickly realized that unless they won the image battle they could lose the legal battle.

Using strategic communications to support the litigation process, the firm managed to turn round the tone of media news coverage about them from negative to positive. After a couple of weeks the firm found that the media as actually putting pressure on the quasi government authority to explain their actions instead of questioning the firm's integrity.

With public opinion behind them, they also made it easier for the courts to rule in their favor, which they did. The decision has been appealed and it is still winding its way through the judiciary system but one lesson is clear: Who dares take on the people power bully can win.

Like most school bullies, Indonesia people power bullies are also all bravado and bluster. Once their victim becomes a hard target and fights back, their stature collapses and the wind gets knocked out of them.

Now wouldn't that be a wonderful sight: Businesses, NGOs and other organizations going about their own businesses professionally and doing the right things instead of not doing them for fear of the power bullies?

Maverick is a communications consultancy that specializes in crisis and issues management as well as brand strategy.