Nationalism remains strong: CESDA survey

Nationalism remains strong: CESDA survey

JAKARTA (JP): Nationalism remains strong among the people in
this country, with an enormous number of people preferring to
identify themselves by their nationality rather than their
ethnicity, according to a results of a survey announced on
Tuesday.

The Center for the Study of Development and Democracy (CESDA),
in a survey published four days before Indonesia's 56th
anniversary, said 67 percent of people interviewed believed
nationalism should be the basis of the national ideology.

Only 9 percent said Indonesia should become a state based on
religion, according to the nationwide survey on "Indonesian
Nationalism and Pluralism in the Transition Period".

As many as 81 percent of respondents declared their identity
as being Indonesian, while only 11 percent preferred to be
identified either by their religion or ethnicity.

But when questioned further about whether they were proud to
be Indonesian, only 59 percent said they were. Nine percent said
they were ashamed, primarily because of rampant corruption,
endless communal conflicts and injustices. Another 30 percent
were indifferent to the question.

The survey involved 2,970 people in 13 cities. Conducted by
means of face to face interview between July 9 and 31, the
respondents were above 17 years old and selected in almost equal
proportions in terms of the nation's ethnic, religious, education
and income backgrounds. It has a 2 percent margin of error and 95
percent degree of certainty.

CESDA, a division of the Institute of Research, Education and
Information of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES), said the
survey was taken against a backdrop of ethnic, religious and
political conflicts that have plagued the nation for the past
four years and, which it said, could undermine Indonesia's nation
building process.

In spite of the communal nature of many of these conflicts,
the majority of respondents believed that they were provoked by
third parties rather than cultural differences.

On religious conflicts, 51 percent said they were the work of
third parties, 17 percent blamed economic disparities and 13
percent said they were caused by hatred and envy between the
different groups. On ethnic conflicts, the proportions were 40
percent, 14 percent and 13 percent respectively.

CESDA head Naning Mardiah said the survey found most
Indonesians to be very tolerant of cultural differences.

Admitting that communal conflicts broke out now and then in
some parts of the country, she said that most Indonesians
accepted cultural diversity and believed that differences should
be resolved by peaceful means.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, in announcing the new
Cabinet lineup on Friday, made the maintenance of national unity
and territorial integrity, in the face of what she described as
disintegrating forces, the number one priority of her government.

The majority of respondents, 62 percent, said they objected to
allowing Aceh and Irian Jaya, two provinces which have registered
rising demands for independence, to go their own ways. Only 16
percent said they had no qualms on the issue.

On East Timor, which voted in 1999 to leave the republic, 63
percent of the respondents said Indonesia should remain on
friendly terms with the new independent country.

In spite of the strong sense of nationalism, 41 percent of
respondents were unsure whether Indonesia could remain intact as
a nation, with 10 percent even believing that the country would
break up into smaller states. Only 32 percent believed the
archipelagic state would remain as it is today.

Around 80 percent of the respondents said ethnic, religious
and political differences have not affected the unity of the
nation. An equal proportion said that cultural differences did
not influence their choice of friends, neighbors and colleagues.

While professing religious tolerance, the majority of
Indonesians, however, do not approve of inter-religious marriages
or conversion to other religions among their close relatives.

As many as 44 percent of respondents said that, in principle,
they accepted inter-religious marriages, but when asked if the
issue involved one of their close relatives, 74 percent said they
would object.

Similarly, 60 percent of respondents said they had no
objection to people changing faiths, but 62 percent objected to
such a decision being made by close relatives.

The survey found strong public disdain with the media's
political coverage, with 80 percent saying the media failed to
voice the people's aspirations. Meanwhile, 54 percent even blamed
the media for aggravating conflicts.

On the legislature, 58 percent gave a low rating to the
elected representatives in fighting for the people's interests.

As many as 74 percent of the respondents said they wanted a
direct presidential election system and the opportunity for
voters to elect representatives directly through the general
elections, instead of the political parties selecting them.
(07/emb)