Pancasila remains basis of RI

The title of your report on my speech Scrap Pancasila as state ideology (The Jakarta Post, April 28, 2000, page 2) could suggest that I proposed the abolition of Pancasila. This would be the direct opposite of what I meant to say. What I said, while attacking all thinking on ideological lines, was that Pancasila was falsely used as an ideology by the New Order government. Pancasila is neither an ideology nor does it claim to replace traditional morality. Pancasila contains five values or ideals that have to guide our politics. Pancasila's relevance is revealed by the context it arose from, i.e. the debate among the founding fathers whether to base the Indonesian Republic on nationalism or on Islam.

By consenting to make Pancasila the basis of the Republic, they declared solemnly that every Indonesian citizen, of whatever religious adherence, enjoyed the full rights and duties of Indonesian citizenship without any discrimination on regard of religion. Thus, Pancasila is the fundamental consensus among the different people of Indonesia that keeps Indonesia together. Scrap Pancasila and you scrap Indonesia.

FRANZ MAGNIS-SUSENO

Jakarta