Indonesians find it difficult to remain objective: Scientist
Indonesians find it difficult to remain objective: Scientist
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians still find it difficult to remain
objective or accept the presence of ideas that are not akin to
their personal convictions.
The adversity to ideas which they regard as foreign is often
evident in their rejection of even accepting the presence of
books on these alternative ideas.
Political scientist Hermawan Sulistyo pointed out that the
rejection of anything even remotely related to Communist or
Marxist teaching was an example of this prevailing resistance.
He noted that resistance to varied ideas often constructs
wrongful misperceptions in society, such as the phobia against
Communist thought.
The hysterical rejection of President Abdurrahman Wahid's
proposal to revoke a three-decade old decree banning Communism
was proof of this, despite the President's insistence that it was
only to repeal bans against Marxist teachings and not the revival
of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
Hermawan himself admits to being a victim of such paranoia.
He recounted that publishers have suspended the publication of
one of his books, Palu Arit di Ladang Tebu (Hammer and Sickle on
the Sugarcane Field), because of the title and its front cover
illustration.
The Hammer and Sickle is associated with Communism.
"The publisher is afraid that it will draw public controversy
as happened with the President's proposal (to revoke the ban on
Communism)," he said.
During the New Order era there was a strict prohibition on
anything which might be remotely connected with Communism due to
the PKI's involvement in the 1965 abortive coup.
Hermawan, along with senior journalist Aristides Katoppo and
activist Munir and Mudji Sutrisno, were speaking at a book
launching here on Wednesday of eight translated American books.
The books range from classic novels such as John Steinbeck's
Grapes of Wrath to a political philosophy work by Thomas Paine
The Rights of Man.
Munir also recounted his own experience when reading a book
which apparently did not conform to the persuasion of a
colleague.
"He told me that it was useless to read such a book," he said,
adding that the writer was considered a "left extremist".
Aristides Katoppo, who represented the Pustaka Sinar Harapan
publishing company, also recalled how the company received strong
protests for publishing books considered "leftist".
"And now, since these books that are being launched today are
all written by Americans, people will accuse us of supporting
Western imperialism or capitalism," he quipped.
With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Pustaka Sinar
Harapan, along with Yayasan Obor Indonesia, Yayasan Jentera and
Yayasan PATTIRO, are publishers of the translated works launched
on Wednesday.
The inability of the general public to accept even works of
literature displays an immaturity of society to engage in
meaningful exchanges of views.
"The imperialism or communism accusations show that the public
perception is wrong, and that Indonesians are unaccustomed to
think at a discourse level," he said.
"Who cares if the writers are Americans, Jewish or Italian. We
have to open up to any ideas," Hermawan added.
Mudji Sutrisno stressed that developing intellectuals was a
necessary requirement for the nation if it wished to progress and
raise itself from its current crisis.
"And books are the instrument as they open up horizons and
perceptions," he said.(09)