Indonesia: Quest for a civil society

By Budiono Kusumohamidjojo

JAKARTA (JP): The 1997 general election has long since past and soon Indonesia will have its new president, vice president and cabinet. However, these political events have been marred by a number of domestic riots which were met with a massive deployment of security forces. A number of people died and enormous material damage was inflicted. Those who suffered most were, as usual, from among the lower layers of society. We must investigate the cause of these riots.

A common view which explains why the disturbances occurred holds that the Indonesian people are now trapped in an inhumane situation which contradicts Pancasila, the state ideology, which has been indoctrinated into all strata of society over the last two decades.

The situation facing the country as the second millennium draws to a close is evidence that the political system has failed to consistently implement the human values of Pancasila.

After 30 hard working years put into developing the economy and improving living standards, we have ended up on the brink of national bankruptcy (again). This is a tragedy because the drive for development was, and still is, heavily burdened by corruption, collusion, nepotism, manipulation, hypocrisy and lies. Authoritarianism and the use of force have become more and more intense over the years, as those involved took ever greater measures to defend their political irresponsibilities.

Nationwide riots over the last two years should be seen as a sobering and unequivocal signal that an end must be put to all such scandalous aspects of Indonesian political life.

A failure to return to fair and sensible principles will undoubtedly block the road to a (masyarakat adil dan makmur), or just and prosperous society, set out in the 1945 Constitution as our country's ultimate political goal. The fear now is that after the republic's golden anniversary, the majority of the Indonesian people will not tolerate the current situation any more.

Within the context of the constitution and society, the government and the people bear an equal responsibility in working toward a just and prosperous society.

Under constitutionally enshrined equality, the trickle-down theory, where the wealth of the elite gradually filters down through society and benefits the poor, has no proper place. The trickle-down theory serves only as a pretext to curb dynamic aspirations among the majority of our population.

Clean government and good governance must become the norm in our country. Furthermore, the multifaceted nature of late 20th century society is such that no government can avoid including and cooperating with their public in a transparent policy making process.

States will have to show greater commitment to the spirit of democracy and be receptive to any proactive stance taken by people over issues of mutual interest.

The government and the people will have an equal responsibility to uphold the law; and will be seen as equal by the law. The law will be implemented and improved through continuous dialogue and communication. Coercion and the use of force shall be applicable only in cases where violence and breach of the peace are involved. Improved respect for human rights will be the logical result of this cooperation.

But who will begin the process of reform? The crisis gripping Indonesia makes it difficult to draw a clear line between the good and the bad.

Nevertheless, there are a considerable number of good and capable individuals in our country who have achieved rank and success on their own merit. In contrast to former U.S. president F.D. Roosevelt who said he used to "speak soft but carry a big stick", these talented individuals should join in a concerted effort to speak out forcefully but peacefully on the need to reform Indonesian society and political practices.

The objective of the reforms should be to gradually reactivate existing political institutions so that they adequately reflect a democratic spirit. A measure of restructuring may eventually have to be carried out on the political system.

Any reform movement which aims at large changes carries a certain degree of risk. But the risk is small compared to the risks of prolonging the life of any corrupt and decadent political system. To do so could lead a country to disaster. For a nation like Indonesia, which has a population of 200 million people, this is unacceptable.

It is time the leaders of our country took the right side and the right track. Our leaders have been challenged to draw the curtain on some of the more unsavory aspects of political life.

Formal leaders and the authorities are henceforth required to respect grassroots institutions. History shows that strong grassroots institutions provide support for the masses during times when the overarching state is unable to, such as when facing a major crisis.

A network of grassroots institutions and a clean government provides a functional symbiosis for the nation. However, Indonesian sociologists hold a common view that grassroots institutions have been uprooted and destroyed by misplaced development policies over the last 30 years and this has exacerbated the impact of the economic crisis. Ironically economic development policies have done more to consolidate the authoritarian political power structure than to strengthening the people's economic resilience.

The nation must rethink how it wants the modern face of Indonesia to look. We call for the establishment of a clean government and good governance, respect for genuine democracy, compliance with the law, equality for all in the eyes of the law, respect for justice and observance of human rights. The people of this country are entitled to these basic rights of civilized society.

All Indonesia deserves the benefits of these protective functions which a large part of the world already enjoys. After the world has set a course toward a more civilized world, it would be beyond common sense for Indonesia to take a stance which is against this.

The founding fathers of the republic were far sighted when they proclaimed the country to be a member of the modern, peaceful and civilized world in the 1945 Constitution. Now the people call for no less than the consistent implementation of those humane values and ideals.

It is hard to reconcile ignoring the people's aspirations with the trends seen in the global political system and society may prove unwilling to tolerate such a state of affairs. We are appealing en masse to those at the helm of the nation to pay due regard to the rightful and dynamic aspirations of the people.

We are all deeply concerned about the possibility of frustrated people turning to harsh measures to get their voice heard. Let us hope that common sense will prevail and rule the course of Indonesian history.

The writer is a legal consultant and lecturer in legal philosophy, based in Jakarta.

Window A: A failure to return to fair and sensible principles will undoubtedly block the road to a (masyarakat adil dan makmur), or just and prosperous society, set out in the 1945 Constitution as our country's ultimate political goal.

Window B: The nation must rethink how it wants the modern face of Indonesia to look. We call for the establishment of a clean government and good governance, respect for genuine democracy, compliance with the law, equality for all in the eyes of the law, respect for justice and observance of human rights.