'More freedom may reduce protests'

'More freedom may reduce protests'

By Haryoso

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): Anti-government demonstrations can
be kept to a minimum if campuses are allowed freedom of expression,
observers say.

Turtiantoro and Susilo Utomo, both lecturers at the School of
Social and Political Sciences of the University of Diponegoro
here, argue that the lack of freedom of expression on Indonesian
campuses in relation to political and social issues has often led
students to engage in street protests, a means of expressing
ideas that local officials very much loathe.

The lack of freedom could also spur Indonesian students to
take part in anti-Indonesian demonstrations abroad, they say.

The government has accused three Indonesian citizens of taking
part in anti-Indonesian demonstrations during President
Soeharto's recent visit to Germany. Two of them, Legislator
Bintang Pamungkas and chief editor of the banned Tempo
newsweekly, Goenawan Mohamad, have denied the accusations. The
third, Jeni Rosa Damayanti, a human rights activist who is
reportedly still abroad, is yet to comment on the matter.

In separate interviews with The Jakarta Post last week,
Turtiantoro and Susilo said the government should not hesitate to
allow students the freedom to express their opinions and should
not see the campuses as a threat to national security.

"The authorities should not necessarily resort to the military
approach in handling student demonstrations at home," said
Turtiantoro.

He said that the demonstrations in Germany had not had any
significant effect on the Indonesia's good name abroad and that
the Indonesian government still had a good image.

Turtiantoro said that there should be hard evidence before
anyone makes an assessment about the significance of the German
demonstrations.

He said the authorities should regard the German
demonstrations as a trivial matter. "The case is different if the
government wants to exaggerate things," he said.

Turtiantoto added that, if the government wants to obtain
objective data, it should make the best use of all possible
sources of information, including the German authorities.

Susilo Utomo said that the current burning controversy
underlined the fact that the Indonesian government was still
unable to accept demonstrations as a means of expressing
opinions.

"This implies that those involved in demonstrations have to
face security authorities. In other words, they face possible
arrest," he said.

In his opinion, the government should be more open to
citizens' criticisms and allow greater freedom of expression,
especially on the campuses.

"What happens nowadays is that security officers move in and
arrest protesters on the pretext that the demonstrators are
insulting the government," he said.

Susilo said that if the authorities arrested Indonesians whom
they allege took part in the German protests the action would
only be counter-productive.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hartono has described Indonesians who
allegedly took part in the German demonstrations as citizens
"whose nationalism is questionable."

Susilo, on the other hand, argued that people could not be
accused of lacking a sense of nationalism simply because they
criticized their government.

"There are two kinds of nationalism," Susilo said. The first
kind, he said, was "my country right or wrong"; while the second
was what he described as humanistic nationalism.

According to Susilo, the first model of nationalism -- which
seems to be the government's preference -- required a citizen to
defend his or her country's good name at all costs under all
circumstances.

But a humanistic nationalist could reveal his country's
weaknesses abroad, provided his aim was to improve the situation
at home, Susilo said.