Intellectuals: Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika are Indonesia's Primary Fortresses for Resurgence

Intellectual Sukidi has asserted that one of the most lethal threats to Indonesian democracy today is the weaponisation of the law by the executive branch.

This democratic phenomenon was sharply analysed during a discussion session at the CALD Conference 2026, held at the Royal Ambarrukmo Hotel, Yogyakarta, on Friday, 4 September 2026.

“The law is enforced against political opponents but blunted for allies. As the Peruvian dictator Oscar Benavides once said: ‘Everything for my friends, the law for my enemies’. Yet, World Bank data records that 44 per cent of a nation’s prosperity is determined by the rule of law. Indonesia fails to prosper because the law is weaponised for the interests of those in power,” Sukidi stated firmly.

Sukidi detailed five primary crises currently afflicting the nation: the centralisation of power, the weaponisation of law, divisive politics, economic inequality, and the politics of exclusion which creates a sense of hollow citizenship.

“Quoting Hitler in Mein Kampf (1925), propaganda is used to divide citizens into ‘friends or enemies’. In Indonesia, critics of power have even been labelled as foreign agents or ‘Londo Ireng’. This is evidence that our democracy is being killed from within. However, as Bung Karno said, for a struggling nation, there is no journey that ends. The values of Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika are our primary fortresses for resurgence,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Chee Soon Juan, provoked both laughter and reflection from the audience when opening his presentation on democratic resilience.

“Asking someone from Singapore to speak about preventing democratic backsliding is a unique joke. We in Singapore cannot experience backsliding because we have never experienced progress!” said Chee Soon Juan.

The Singaporean political critic presented ADP Research data showing the high percentage of citizens in Southeast Asia living from paycheque to paycheque, such as Malaysia (80 per cent), the Philippines (~80 per cent), Indonesia (54 per cent), and Thailand (52 per cent). This figure stands in stark contrast to strong middle-class nations like South Korea, where the figure is only 18 per cent.

“Political elites often mistakenly assume that the people are thinking about unicameral, bicameral, or presidential systems. For ordinary people, the primary priority is: ‘How can I survive tomorrow and meet my family’s needs?’ Economic development is not merely about GDP growth, but about social mobility and reducing inequality. If we fail to understand the psychology and the life burdens of the people, we are leading democracy into great trouble,” Chee Soon Juan explained.