New Indonesia must accept religious, ethnic and cultural pluralism
New Indonesia must accept religious, ethnic and cultural pluralism
JAKARTA (JP): A nationwide acceptance of religious, ethnic and
cultural pluralism is a preliminary requirement for the peaceful
and quick construction of a new Indonesia, according to two
influential intellectuals.
Sutarno, a former rector of Christian Satyawacana University
in Salatiga, Central Java, suggested during a panel discussion
here on Thursday that people fundamentally change their vision
and action, especially in the realm of religion and culture, to
help rescue the nation from the current multidimensional crisis.
"There is nothing wrong with the reform movement, but with the
agents of reform and, perhaps, the real condition of the nation,"
he said.
Sutarno regretted the prevalent misperception of reform and
democracy, which has inflicted unaccountable social damage to the
nation. He said the reform movement had gone beyond what the law
allowed, as seen in numerous regional conflicts in Aceh, Maluku
and Irian Jaya.
Mudji Sutrisno, a Catholic intellectual and a lecturer at the
Driyarkara Institute of Philosophy, said the widespread
misperception of reform had cost the nation the religious and
cultural pluralism instilled by the republic's founding fathers.
He said the rejection of pluralism had led to a new trend,
communalism, in which all religious, ethnic and cultural groups
compete for their own interests.
"The phenomenon of communalism and exclusiveness could be seen
in the last presidential election," he said.
Mudji claimed the true reform movement had come to a near
standstill, partly due to the failure of the People's
Consultative Assembly to uphold the people's sovereignty during
the presidential election last October.
"The emotional conspiracy between Golkar Party and the Axis
Force to ensure Abdurrahman Wahid's victory in the presidential
election was really a betrayal to the people's sovereignty."
According to Mudji, Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) gained more than 30
percent of the vote in the 1999 general election, deserved the
presidency out of respect of the aspirations of the people.
He said Abdurrahman was not a wise choice for president
because, besides having physical problems, he was unprepared.
"It would have been better for him to reject the nomination
and play his role as wise man and guru for the nation," he said.
To uphold the people's sovereignty, Mudji called for the
direct election of the president, vice president and government
officials such as governors and regents in the 2004 general
election.
Mudji also said the nation needed young leaders to help the
nation reconstruct its vision, which is based on pluralism.
"We should no longer entrust our nation-building to political
figures and military officers who are over the age of 40," he
said. (rms)