Marsetio leads colleagues in rallies

By Sirikit Syah

SURABAYA (JP): Indonesia has recently witnessed a spate of student demonstrations over many critical issues -- from skyrocketing prices to the need for the People's Consultative Assembly to issue decisions that will usher in economic and political reform.

Most of the time the students were protesting alone. On several occasions, however, alumni came along and lent greater credence to their demands. Former rector of the Jakarta-based University of Indonesia Mahar Mardjono and former Airlangga University rector Marsetio Donosepoetro are among those who have been spotted at demonstrations.

The two are among a growing number of intellectuals who seem to be stepping out of the confines of their ivory towers and joining groups of people making statements on various, especially economic and political, matters.

On Saturday, for instance, hundreds of protesting students and junior staff lecturers from the state-run Airlangga University here were infused with a renewed zeal when they spotted Marsetio among them.

The tall, bespectacled professor of medicine proved to be a magnet for others -- other professors and senior lecturers then felt compelled to join the gathering.

Marsetio even took over the task of reading out a declaration of concern, which included criticism leveled at the government and the legislature. It was interesting to note, though, that the former Indonesian Ambassador to UNESCO is also a former member of the House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly.

Now, he is expressing disappointment with the people's representative bodies.

Question: Why did you take part in the demonstration, and even read the statement of concern?

Answer: For the past two months, some junior staff lecturers at Airlangga University and I have been talking about this. They believe that it now is the time for the university to take a stance and I agree with them on that matter. However we had not talked about how we were going to go about it, until the students and alumni of the University of Indonesia held their demonstration.

I disagreed about staging protests with the association of Airlangga graduates. Theirs is an organization with thousands of members with their own opinions. So, we staged a demonstration in our personal (rather than organizational) capacity.

Q: Do you believe these protests will work?

A: I am a doctor and I tend to stress the need for empirics. I read Alvin Toffler's The Power Shift and I believe that power will shift from muscle to money, and from money to mind. The three Ms. Muscle can only mean the military and politicians, money means businesspeople, while the mind refers to the intellectuals.

Q: Aren't you being too optimistic?

A: Intellectuals have to be optimistic. If we don't have high hopes and aspirations, we are carpenters or mere professionals, not intellectuals.

(Moslem scholar) Nurcholish Madjid once said that democrats and intellectuals should never force their ideas. We are against that. But by using your mind objectively, good intentions will build a wave that will bring change.

We must also share our ideas with others through writings and other means. Rational thoughts coming from campuses will leave their mark later on. We are in the globalization era, we can't be stopped. They can't stop us.

Q: You were a member of the legislative bodies, now you are being critical of them...

A: When I was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives (1993-1998) I did not realize that I automatically became a member of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Gradually I realized how difficult it was to represent 200 million people, to have the power to elect a president and vice president. It was such a burden for me. Maybe I was not a very smart politician. I don't know.

I never attended the MPR sessions, and I never said a word (about matters concerning the duties of MPR members). But as a member of the House of Representatives' commission in charge of education, people knew me to be a diligent and concerned member.

I always attended House sessions and prepared questions. As a former rector and UNESCO ambassador I am knowledgeable, and I shared what I know with others.

Q: What do you think about the current MPR?

A: I have been there. That's why I would never be able to say anything bad about them. I know how hard it is for them. The culture of our MPR and our politics makes it difficult. Unless one comes to one's senses.

I believe there is only one solution; political reform. How can the system work if 500 of the 1,000 MPR members are appointed by the president, and 320 are Golkar members whose chief is the President?

Political reform is not impossible, but it is not easy either.

Q: Will you continue protesting with the students?

A: I will go to the campus to check (on the protesters). As a doctor and former rector, I am concerned with what they're doing. I heard that they have begun a hunger strike. I shall visit them, at least to give them some suggestions about the need for nourishment.