Nationalism or irrational thinking?

Nationalism or irrational thinking?

By Devi M. Asmarani

JAKARTA (JP): There is a mounting disturbing trend of
nationalism that borders on xenophobia in Indonesia these days.

Protesters picket the UN headquarters or the British and
Australian embassies, burning the flags of the respective
institution or countries while chanting "Go to hell with you" or
"Leave us alone".

Off the streets, legislators, bureaucrats and analysts condemn
foreign political intervention in Indonesia. This should in some
way indicate that some people believe we are being pushed around
by our big western brothers.

But whether this is genuine and appropriate nationalism, is
something we should question.

While the whole world is expressing its concern about the fate
of hundreds of thousands of displaced East Timorese, many
Indonesians are busy debating whether a certain country, accused
of disrespecting our sovereignty, should join the peacekeeping
force.

Frankly, instead of appearing nationalistic this makes them
look like a bunch of defiant, insensitive people with little
regard for human rights.

Furthermore, one should question whether these cases that
portray resentment against the western nations really represent
the sentiment of all Indonesians.

In fact, the rallies are isolated protests, mostly done by the
families of East Timor veterans, prointegration activists, and
dubious groups that have staged demos to defend certain factions
with close links to the government. Not to mention that in
Jakarta and other big cities, there are many people readily
willing to stage protests at a price.

That goes the same with the upper crusts of society, the
political elites.

When they express their dislike of other country's concerns
over lawlessness in East Timor, they claim that their views
represent the aspirations of many Indonesians, when in fact they
are encouraging xenophobia amongst sections of the community.

However it is clear to many people, that it is easier to shift
the blame to foreign nations and organizations, instead of
admitting Indonesia's mistakes in its own East Timor policy.

A military analyst, Salim Said, recently said on a private
television talk show, that the international community,
especially Australia, was bullying the country.

However, he later contradicted his own statement when he
accurately summed up the very mistakes Indonesia always makes.

"We are a nation that always looks for a scapegoat. Australia
is our scapegoat (regarding the present East Timor situation),"
he said, adding that Australia is a blessing in disguise that
brings the country together.

Foreign countries, foreign press and the UN have not been the
only target to blame.

The Governor of East Timor, Abilio Jose Osorio Soares,
recently justified the brutalities perpetrated by the pro-Jakarta
militias in East Timor -- even including the once taboo burning
of churches and the murdering of priests and nuns -- as an
inevitable characteristic of the hot-blooded East Timorese.

It is hard to believe this self-loathing statement about his
own people came from a top local government official, who is
supposed to be a somewhat moderating influence.

The black-American community has two words for this kind of
attitude: Uncle Tom -- the term for an overly subservient trait
that originated from the pious and faithful slave in 1800's
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

It is equally disappointing that some politicians, including
those associated with the reform movement, treat the East Timor
issue as political leverage with which to attack President B.J.
Habibie.

Instead of focusing on the real issue of how to resolve a
massive humanitarian crisis, they seized the opportunity to gain
popularity.

To easily accept the arguments that East Timor's chaos is
caused by the UN Mission in East Timor's (UNAMET) lack of
impartiality during the ballot or international pressure on
Indonesia, or the East Timorese's "brutal nature" is to disregard
rational logic.

It also means that even up to this point, Indonesia has still
not accepted the fact that an overwhelming majority of the East
Timorese have clearly rejected its offer to stay within
Indonesia.

If the majority of East Timorese think that by accepting the
wide-ranging autonomy within Indonesia they would lead a better
life, they would not have bravely defied intimidations and walked
the long roads to ballot posts on that fine Aug. 30 day.

Many Indonesians so conveniently forget that hundreds of
thousands of people, many of whom are women and children, are
currently on the brink of starvation within or outside of the
territory -- if they aren't already starved.

Yet in a strange way, the humanitarian disaster could also be
a government attempt to divert attention from the fact that it
has failed to maintain order and security in the territory.

Military chief Wiranto said he could understand why some
soldiers were hesitant "to shoot their own people", the militias
which the military had formed and groomed to fight against their
own people.

Others said it was hard for the international community,
especially its press, to understand the historical reasons behind
the military's non-professionalism -- which had been nicely
coated by the euphemism "psychological constraints" -- in dealing
with the militias.

But any peace-loving and reasonable Indonesian should find it
just as hard as a foreign national to digest this justification.

Does this mean that the lives of a group of rampaging armed
militias are worth more than frightened, helpless, displaced and
unarmed civilians?

A Jakarta human rights volunteer who was also a ballot
observer in East Timor recalled her last days there. She and
dozens of volunteers and refugees were staying at Dili's office
of the Foundation of Human Rights and Justice when it was
attacked by pro-Jakarta militia a day after the ballot.

"They were shooting at us for two hours, the police didn't
come until later. And even then, they initially insisted on
evacuating only the two foreign volunteers to the local police
headquarters," said the traumatized volunteer who requested
anonymity.

"Later at the police headquarters, we witnessed with our own
eyes, how the armed militias come and go like it's their own
house."

What she said "hurt" her the most was when she witnessed the
seemingly systematical attempt to prevent East Timorese from
leaving the chaos at the Comoro Airport, when she and her group
were leaving Dili by the Air Force's aircraft.

"The security personnel looked at the list of names who were
going to fly, and said coldly that 25 people with East Timorese
names on the list could not fly with us. They said: 'We only take
Indonesians. If the East Timorese want independence, then they
aren't going to step on our soil'," she said.

If the Indonesians, who criticized the decision to allow
international peacekeepers into East Timor, can claim arrogantly
that it is still the country's territory before the formal
separation is approved, then they have clearly overlooked the
authority's continuing neglect of the welfare of the East
Timorese, who are officially still Indonesians.

Surely, a nation cannot turn a blind-eye to the pain and
suffering of the East Timorese, especially with mounting evidence
and testimony, simply because of misguided pride.

The self-proclaimed nationalists, who claim to speak for the
sake of the nation's integrity, should start asking themselves on
behalf of which Indonesians they are speaking.

There are more important priorities than to save face and to
uphold obscure nationalism. That is to respect the universal
values of human rights.

The government's and the military's decision to allow the UN
peacekeeping force was perhaps their bravest move in the face of
criticism from these very nationalists.

The East Timorese deserve the peace they long for. The high
voter turnout showed their yearnings to determine their own fate.
The overwhelming rejection of the autonomy indicated that they
were not pleased with Indonesia's 24-year rule there.

Instead of hampering the process by bickering about non-
essential issues, we should help the peaceful transformation
toward the building of a new nation, our close neighbor.

The writer is a journalist.