Is Indonesia a free country?

Is Indonesia a free country?

Following the 56th anniversary of independence, political
analyst J. Soedjati Djiwandono reflects upon the fact that
sovereignty, independence and freedom are different things.

JAKARTA (JP): There is no doubt that Indonesia is a sovereign
and independent country. We have just celebrated the 56th
anniversary of the proclamation of Indonesian independence. For
56 long years we have been in control of our own country and our
own nation. We have been in control of our own destiny. And the
sovereignty and independence of any country are limited only by
those of others. This is true especially now in a shrinking, and
increasingly open and interdependent world because of the
constant advancement in communication and information technology.

Interestingly, soon after his election as the fourth president
of this republic by the People's Consultative Assembly,
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid loudly "proclaimed Indonesia's
independence for the second time". I have never known what he
really had in mind when making that proclamation, for he never
referred to it again, nor elaborated on what he meant. The puzzle
may be due to a problem of semantics of the Indonesian language.

A look into the vocabulary stock of the English language,
however, may shed some light on the significance of Gus Dur's
declaration. In a speech to the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, 1941,
president Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the famous "Four
Freedoms". At that time, the United States of America had been
independent for almost 200 years.

President Roosevelt laid out these principles as a basis for
world peace: "In the future days, which we seek to make secure,
we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human
freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression --
everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to
worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world. The third
is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means
economic understandings which will secure to every nation a
healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the
world. The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into
world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a
point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a
position to commit an act of physical aggression against any
neighbor -- anywhere in the world."

Perhaps in a reference to Indonesia's principle of foreign
policy, later on first president Sukarno added to the four
freedoms, "the freedom to be free".

In 1953, barely five years after the establishment of the
People's Republic of China, president Liu Shiao-chi advocated his
own version of the "four freedoms": to rent and to sell land; to
hire labor; to engage in sideline economic pursuits; and to lend
money at interest.

But since these freedoms amounted to rights of private
property in land, they were attacked by Mao Zedong, and never
implemented. Lin was later denounced as a "capitalist inroader"
and expelled from the party.

Indeed, in terms of statehood, many nations have obtained
their independence. However, the independence of a large number
of these nations is yet to be given its contents, "freedoms" for
their peoples, not just the four freedoms enunciated by president
Roosevelt or the four freedoms proclaimed by president Liu Shiao-
chi, but all the human freedoms for the achievements of their
higher goals in life as human beings.

Indeed, we enjoy much greater freedom of expression these
days. However, freedom to have our own views and opinions on
certain things not in line with the "mainstream", especially the
official lines, remains curtailed. Then the state still tempers
with our freedom of worship through its unjust laws and
regulations. For a large majority of the people, freedom from
want remains a far cry from the reality. And freedom from fear is
just a wish.

Americans often say with pride, referring to their own country
-- when encouraging or appreciating others' personal views --
"It's a free country". My own beloved country definitely
constitutes an independent state. I would hesitate, however, to
give a definite answer to the simple question, "Is Indonesia a
free country?"