Indonesia's unity in diversity: Fact or Fiction?

Indonesia's unity in diversity: Fact or Fiction?

JAKARTA (JP): Seventy years ago, on Oct. 28, 1928, a group of
youths from various ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds
assembled and pledged loyalty to One Country, One Nation and One
Language: Indonesia.

Now, after the economic and political crisis has spun out of
control, spinning strongman Soeharto out of office in the
process, signs of cracks are beginning to surface. Some
provinces, dismayed by the unequal distribution of the benefits
of development, have stepped up their calls for independence.
Some politicians have come out in support of federalism, while
others have placed their standards in the camp of "greater
autonomy".

Wednesday's 70th anniversary of Youth Plead Day will be
overshadowed by questions of whether Indonesia can remain as one
country, whether the pledge is still relevant and whether the
unitary state should be defended at all cost.

The Jakarta Post asked people from various strata of society
for their view on the matter.

Rita Serena Kolibonso, 37, a lawyer and founder of the women's
crisis center Mitra Perempuan, part Minang, part Maluku.

The Youth Pledge was the incident in history from which we
learned that the principle of one country, one nation and one
language had to be used to fight off colonialism. As a movement,
it rapidly built up momentum an became a strong force, showing us
today that from that point on we became stronger because we were
one.

Today, it is still relevant because we need it to fight off
serious social problems, including poverty, theft and murder,
which have worsened since the economic crisis began. It is these
problems that are now dividing us.

We should learn that people from all backgrounds must unite to
achieve a common goal. We should not be fighting alone, nor
should we be suspicious of people from different ethnic groups,
despite these hard times.

Open demands for independence like that coming from Aceh is a
new development.

If we want to call ourselves a democratic nation, we should
listen to different aspirations. Therefore we cannot force people
to support a unitary state. If secession becomes a choice, then
the consequences have to be borne by those who opt for that
course of action.
Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, 57, poet and a winner of the Chairil
Anwar Literary award, part Java, part Riau.

When it comes to one language, Sumpah Pemuda has helped to get
all Indonesian people to use Bahasa Indonesia. Whether people
come from different cultural, medical or legal organizations, or
from different ethnic origins ... say from Riau or Padang, they
use Bahasa Indonesia to communicate with each other.

When it comes to the nation, nobody should say that
Indonesians are not affected by what concerns their country.
Whenever Indonesia is spoken of today, you will either see the
Indonesians proud or concerned.

When word of corruption and violence in Indonesia spreads
around the world, Indonesian nationals overseas feel the pinch
badly. They feel the nation to be their own child; if the child
suffers, they are concerned. If it was someone else's child, they
couldn't care less.

What makes up unity? It is the differences. People talk about
the word Bhinneka (diversity) but they do not understand the
differences that make up that one word. The essence of those
differences are minimized today. The values of different
cultures, educational backgrounds and classes in society all make
up one country, one nation and one language.

In terms of culture, all poets and artists derive their
inspiration from Indonesia's differing cultures.

Chinese culture? Well, an artist will write or create
something he is close to. Meidi Lukito, a Chinese-Indonesian
poet, has translated some of his poetry into Indonesian and will
soon publish this work. He wrote about his subject because they
were close to his heart. The Chinese are educated people and I am
sure they capable of making great literary works, but they prefer
to become doctors or scientists.

Federal State? I think people should consider all the positive
and negative aspects when it comes to deciding on state affairs.
For example, should people choose regional autonomy, they must
first fully examine how this will benefit them in the long run.
Whatever is to be done, it should be done for the good of the
people.
Suraiya Kamaruzzaman, 30, director of Flower Aceh, a non-
governmental organization for women's rights based in Aceh.

The first thing we have to question before talking about
being one nation and one country, is whether all provinces in the
country have received equal treatment from the government.

As an Acehnese, I feel that Aceh has only been exploited.
Perhaps the people of East Timor and Irian Jaya feel the same.

But I agree that we should maintain Bahasa Indonesia as our
national language. Bahasa Indonesia has made communication easier
between people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding a federal state, I think it is an alternative. The
government should hold a referendum to find out what the people.
Maria Imaculada da Silva, 21, a student in the University of
Indonesia's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and an
activist in FROMPETIL, a youth forum for East Timor.

Youths nowadays are courageous, but they are different from
those involved in the 1928 Youth Pledge. We live in different
times and face different conditions and pressures.

Bahasa Indonesia remains a binding force and should be
maintained. I'm concerned about the fact that a great many people
are unable to speak the national language.

About being one nation and one country, I think it will be
hard to maintain now that many groups in society are battling to
defend their own interests. It's time for the people to put
public interests before their own personal interests.

The government should also be more people-oriented, especially
when deciding what form the state should take.

Rae Sita Supit, former actress and currently vice president of
corporate communications at ALatief Corporation. Of mixed
parentage:

The spirit of Youth Pledge Day is still important, especially
during this time of crisis. The reform movement has currently
turned a little bit ugly because many groups of people seem to
"clash" with each other.

Disintegration is a threat. I can feel the threat now, so
keeping the nation together is very important. I don't want to
see what we have arduously achieved destroyed by those who put
their personal interests above anything else.

I see one group accuse another of corruption, collusion and
nepotism while other groups do not want to see a certain group
live in the country.

Is that really the goal of the reform movement pioneered by
the younger generations?

I think the mass media should help maintain the nation's unity
while correcting past mistakes for a better future.
Sitok Srengenge, a poet, 30, Javanese:

The spirit of the Youth Pledge is still relevant in today's
situation. There are times when it is appropriate for us to muse
over the meaning, but what is important is that we should not
sanctify it. It should not block our effort to think about other
options.

Ayu Utami, writer, Javanese, late 20:

There are two things that make the 1928 Youth Pledge important
for me -- the youths' spirit of unity and their spirit of
nationalism.

It is not the format of our nation that concerns me the most,
but it is the civil rights of the citizens. If federation offers
better protection of human rights, then I think it could be more
suitable.

Indonesian was started by the Dutch colonial administration
based on the Malay language. It was engineered for the ease of
the administration at that time, and they forced people in the
colony to use it. That is why we cannot find something that can
be called "standard" Indonesian. That also explains why oral and
written Indonesian are different.
Gunawan Tjahyadi, 42, lawyer, Chinese-Indonesian:

This year's commemoration of Youth Pledge Day is important. We
need to recall the time when all the nation's young elements
vowed to unite to respect each other regardless of origins.

Nowadays, the sense of being one nation seems to be fading
away. We need now to proportionally put back in its place the
nation's diverse ethnic groups, cultures, languages, etc. In this
way justice will be felt and shared by all.

Unless we do it now, yes, this nation could disintegrate;
unless we recall that fateful day in 1928, the nation could break
up. If there are components of the nation who try to deny the
fateful day's spirits, national disintegration is very possible.

No. I don't agree with the idea of a federal state. I agree we
must retain our current unitary state because back in our history
we learned how difficult it was for our founding fathers to make
us one ... that they finally pledged to become one. We cannot
deny that or the nation will disintegrate.

But I agree that justice for all must be realized, or else.

Utut Adianto, chess Grand Master, Javanese:

The 1928 Youth Pledge is a very good thing because we declared
one country, one nation and one language: Indonesia.

The problem now, in its relevance to the current situation, is
that we don't have models for young people. Our young people are
fighting among themselves almost every day and youth
organizations have yet to set good examples.

Youth is the nation's pillar but the young people are facing
moral weakening nowadays. We have to realize that this is really
universal. If the youths want to achieve something, they can't do
it instantly.

Zumrotin K. Soesilo, 49, executive director of the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Javanese:

When the pledge was read out 70 years ago, it was relevant to
the situation at that time. But in the present developments, the
pledge is no longer relevant to be used as a means to unite
people. It is the spirit to create greater democracy here that
can unite all of us.

At present, I know there's a threat of national
disintegration. But I believe not all the provinces want to
become an independent state. Only some of the 27 provinces feel
that their share of the development pie is too small despite
their large contribution to the central government.

I believe that the government has already sensed the threat of
disintegration. But the government should not handle it with
force and it should introspect on what's wrong with its policies.

I don't want to comment much about whether we should turn to a
federal state or maintain this unitary state because the decision
will not depend on individuals or on certain politicians, but on
the entire citizenry.

The idea of some to turn the unitary Indonesia into a federal
state has been highly politicized and others have made it a
slogan. In reality, many people do not understand its philosophy.
They talk without understanding its meaning. So, there is a need
to educate the public about politics, explaining different forms
of state and let the people decide what might be the most
appropriate.

Fitriany Koesoemawardhani, 23, fresh graduate of Trisakti
University's School of Architecture, Javanese:

I think the youth pledge is still relevant. Just a few months
ago, it was students who staged successful proreform protests. If
the students had not united, reform would not have happened. What
I hate most is racism, anti-Chinese sentiments and so on.

It is a shame that today the historic Youth Pledge Day is
commemorated with ceremonies, reciting the pledge and then
forgotten. There is no understanding of its true meaning.

I think more efforts should be made to make people understand
how the pledge relates to the current reform spirit.

I am aware of the threat of national disintegration from news
reports. Some provinces like East Timor and Irian Jaya want to be
independent from Indonesia. Other provinces might take this as an
example. But in my opinion, many Indonesians tend to do what
others do without knowing much about the essence of the issue.

I am not against federal state, it's just I do not know much
about its positive and negative aspects. But one thing is clear:
we should not adopt the system only because it works well in the
United States. There is no guarantee it will be effective for
Indonesia. In the United States, the system was adopted following
a civil war.

I think a unitary state is OK. We can't switch from a unitary
state to federal state just like that. At least we can review it
and find out what is necessary to be done to eliminate the
weaknesses.

We should not (blindly) copy what other countries do.
S.IS. Sihotang, regent of Dairi, North Sumatra, Batak:

I think the Youth Pledge is still very relevant, especially
now that Indonesia is facing the possibility of disintegration.

Imagine the youngsters, being aware of their differences,
coming together as one and pledging one state, one nation and one
language: Indonesia. Wasn't it great?.

They taught us that our differences are not a weakness. They
(differences) are our strength if we unite to achieve a common
goal.

One of the great youngsters at that time was Liberti Manik,
who composed the heroic song Satu Nusa Satu Bangsa (One Country,
One Nation). I mention his name not because he happened to come
from Dairi, but because I admire what he did, particularly his
musical compositions.

I think If all Indonesians sing the song with earnestness and
put its spirit into practice in their everyday life as
Indonesian citizens, there should be no worry that Indonesia will
disintegrate. Instead, we'll come out of this crisis as a great
nation.

Widihasto W. Putro, 24, student activist, Javanese:

It's high time in this reform era that the younger generation
gets a more central role in state affairs. The older generation
should make way for the younger. On the upcoming Youth Pledge Day
commemoration, we plan a ceremony with the theme "Hand Over
Indonesia to the Young".

The issue of disintegration is created by the political elite
with the intention to threaten proreform forces. If Irian Jaya
and Aceh want independence because they are unhappy with the way
the New Order government treated them, you can't say it is
subversion. They just are exercising their political rights.

I support the idea to make Indonesia a federal state because
the system will allow the regions to enjoy a greater share of
their natural riches. The centralized system has resulted in
widespread economic, political and social injustices.

It's true that the unitary system is based on the 1945
Constitution. But remember that the Constitution can be changed
if the people so wish. The authorities should not insist on
stopping the discourse on federalism. (team)