Looking in the mirror

Looking in the mirror

Tomorrow is Indonesia's Independence Day. The time has come
again for us to reflect and ponder on our journey as a nation. It
is like standing in front of a mirror, looking back into our
past, and asking ourselves: Are we on the right track and coming
closer to our independence ideals, or have we strayed from our
path and headed in an unwanted direction?

Any keen observer here would notice that this time, unlike in
the past years, there is something distinct in the air -- a
different mood perhaps, which can easily be detected from the
contents of our media.

The first and most obvious difference is the changing mood
from cheerfulness to gloom. Only last year, a feeling of euphoric
excitement was perceptible among a large segment of our society,
and was reflected in the media which was enjoying a greater
degree of openness -- allowed by the government to an extend that
many believed it could lead us in no other direction but towards
a speedier democratization process.

But now, following the closure of the magazines Tempo, Detik
and Editor in June, many people believe they may have to review
their opinion. For one thing, questions have been raised
regarding the government's sincerity in promoting real political
openness. Some see the closure as a setback, others have gone so
far as to call the action a "political killing" which has
revealed the true nature of the government's democratization
policy.

Some observers believe there are other signs to support the
view that, indeed, the policy of openness was an experiment, to
be withdrawn whenever some serious "threat" should come into
view. In the election of the governor of Central Kalimantan, for
instance, many felt that the government tended to ignore the
local people's feelings. In the case of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI), there also are indications that the government is
going back to the old pattern by trying to harass and undermine
Megawati's leadership.

Yet, one has to admit that the greater part of society seemed
to be unconcerned with such a "setback". Even many intellectuals
have remained silent on the closure of the three magazines. Could
it be that for the majority of the people basic daily problems
such as the drought, price increases or higher education costs
are more of a concern than things like freedom of expression or
freedom of assembly?

Whatever the case, one cannot claim the people's "ignorance"
toward problems such as democratization as proof that the
majority of the people are not ready for greater democracy.
Development is not a matter of social and economic uplifting
only, but, as President Soeharto himself has repeatedly said, it
is also a matter of respecting the basic rights of the people,
including freedom of expression and the right of assembly, which
are clearly guaranteed by the Constitution.

Democratization aside, there are also questions regarding the
economic path which we as a nation are taking. There is no
denying that the economic achievements which have been scored in
the past quarter century or so have been quite impressive.
Nevertheless, neither can it be denied that at present concern is
growing within our society over the widening gap between rich and
poor in this country. Prof. Soemitro's words of caution last week
surely reflect this concern, which is shared by many people.

Then, too, although the government has successfully reduced
the number of poor Indonesians through its poverty alleviation
program the fact remains that there is a growing "anti-
conglomerate" feeling among our people. Other examples could be
mentioned. The gist of the matter, though, is that it seems that
the time has come for us to forthrightly review what we have done
so far and what we have achieved. On the other hand we should
also have the courage to correct our course wherever necessary,
if we have strayed from the right direction.

Tomorrow, our nation will be just one year short of half-a-
century old. In that time span there have been many achievements
that we can be rightly proud of. It may be ironic that it is
precisely because of those accomplishments that we have now come
to a stage in our history where a review of the institutions that
have helped us attain those achievements may be necessary.

Tomorrow, millions of young Indonesians, born and raised in
relative prosperity and imbued with fresh ideals and aspirations,
will be joining their elders in celebrating our Independence Day.
Flaws notwithstanding, we are optimistic that a better future
lies ahead for our nation, so long as we are willing to work for
it. Let us hope that we have learned enough from the past to
respect the values of national cohesion and stability, which have
been the keys towards our present progress.

We pray that this nation will in the coming years be spared
the stormy upheavals of the past so that it can cope with the
tasks that lie ahead in peace and stability. At the same time,
however, let us keep in mind President Soeharto's words that it
is a dynamic kind of stability that we seek. For in the end,
nothing is permanent but change itself and thus, whether we like
it or not, we must learn to cope with change in order to preserve
our very national well-being. May God bless this nation as it
enters this vital moment of its history.