Keeping the peace
Keeping the peace
With the crucial Special Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) only three days away and, above all, with the
memory of the worst riots in decades still fresh in our minds, it
is only fair to say that it is natural for the authorities to be
in no mood to risk ruining what they see as their "national
agenda" toward democratic reform by allowing critics and
opponents of the government to disrupt the session.
Furthermore, strong student opposition to the scheduled
Special Session of the MPR -- which they distrust for being still
filled with supporters of the Soeharto regime -- certainly does
not help to calm the nerves of the authorities responsible for
ensuring the smooth progress of the Special Session of the
nation's highest policy-making body.
Still, one might wonder whether the display of so much
military might, as can be observed in the heart of the city at
present, is really necessary. Any newly arrived visitor to the
Indonesian capital these days can be forgiven for believing he
has landed in a city at war.
That the potential for conflict and violent clashes exists is
beyond question. As Thursday's mass prayer gathering of tens of
thousands of Moslems at the Senayan sports stadium demonstrated,
there are quite a number of Indonesians who support the MPR
Special Session, whose agenda is centered around setting a date
for the general election next year.
On the other hand, the almost-daily demonstrations by
thousands of students in Jakarta and elsewhere show that the
numbers of those who are opposed to the Special Session, or at
least distrust it, are no less considerable. Media reports have
mentioned that many of these opposition groups are planning to
stage demonstrations -- or even try to occupy the parliament or
nearby buildings -- while the MPR is in session deliberating
rulings on the next general and presidential elections.
That such a scenario could invite clashes between those who
are for and those who are against the MPR Special Session needs
no saying. Perhaps a recent comment made by a former student
activist, Moh. Jumhur Hidayat, who is now a researcher at a
think-tank affiliated to the Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals (ICMI), formerly chaired by President B.J. Habibie,
best describes the situation. "The situation now," according to
Jumhur, "is different from the one that existed previously, when
the people had one common enemy: Soeharto. Now there are those
who are against Habibie, but there are also a lot of people who
support him."
Interestingly, those who oppose the MPR gathering and are
demanding the establishment of a transitional government to
replace the present Habibie administration, and those who support
the Assembly's Special Session and support Habibie have managed
to avoid confrontation thus far. Indeed, calls on both sides have
been made to eschew clashes and bloodshed and see to it that the
war remains one of words rather than physical blows.
It may not be too far from the truth to say that this is
perhaps because, so far, the visible controversy does not really
concern the most crucial principle of democratic reform -- which
all factions in the reformist camp essentially support -- but
rather the method by which this can be most effectively achieved.
The pro-MPR, pro-Habibie camp ostensibly believes that the course
charted out by the government and the House of Representatives
provides the best guarantees for the attainment of their
aspirations. Among the opposition, clearly the big factor is
their distrust of all that has past associations with Soeharto's
corrupt and autocratic New Order regime, including the MPR and
Habibie.
This being the case, it would seem that the best, most
peaceful, most effective and simplest way to prevent
destructiveness and violence during the MPR Special Session is by
giving clear indications that the drive toward real democratic
reform which the students and intellectuals have spearheaded will
not be betrayed.