Peaceful rallies preferable

Peaceful rallies preferable

Iqbal Widastomo, Research Associate, London School of Economics,
London

In the past few years it has been rare that Indonesia has been
portrayed on the likes of CNN or BBC in a positive light. More
often than not the reports focus on the rampant violence and
conflicts.

Reports of recent demonstrations in the heart of Jakarta
provoked thought among viewers. For once there were no signs of
excited youths on top of buses wildly waving flags or shouting
out complaints, and happily there were no signs of violence or
rioting that consistently cloud the whole purpose of
demonstrations.

No, these peaceful rallies included, first, one by Indonesian
women calling for the nation to stop and think about how overt
consumerism has become an obsession for our people and how it is
undermining the social fabric. More recently, thousands upon
thousands of Indonesians rallied against the war in Iraq.

Here were demonstrations that could be seen to be working.
They were expressing concerns, bringing them into focus for more
people and encouraging people to enter into the debate and show
their concern for the future of our nation and the world.

Even though the rallies revolved around deeply worrying
aspects of our lives, the fact that these people were able to
express and peacefully demonstrate their concerns in the heart of
the capital is a welcome contribution to the nation.

After so many years of harsh and unforgiving dictatorship,
Indonesia seems to have exploded, or perhaps more accurately
imploded, in a series of conflicts that have led to deaths and
destruction. The messages of various rallies have become lost in
the acrid smoke of burning tires and even, sometimes, spilt
blood.

Some say "without pain there is no gain" but Indonesia has
suffered enough pain and surely we now deserve the right to a
voice without fear and reprisals. Dissenting voices have to be
heard, whether they are from an individual, a demonstrating group
or a newspaper or magazine that takes an opposing view, as the
right to peaceful dissent is one of the fundamental pillars of
democracy.

And perhaps we are on the threshold of a new beginning. With
the new millennium still in its infancy, globalization changing
the way the world works and the dark clouds of war and terrorism
overshadowing world affairs, this is a time of great challenges.

As globalization grows it becomes more important for us to
honor and respect diversity instead of trying to impose an
artificial man-made unity.

Demonstrations show that people care and are thoughtful about
the way our nation and the world is managed and develops. They
highlight the existence and need to tolerate different views and
reflect the growth of civil society.

Globalization brings more choice to our lives; yet more could
mean less in terms of real value to our lives, among others in
caring and sharing. We exercise our minds to consider how best to
manage ourselves and our neighborhoods and communities.

The challenges of the 21st century require that we are able to
think globally, and simultaneously act locally. We need to
understand the global context of what is happening in our world
but we must respond to this locally by being active. If we remain
passive we will surely be left behind. Demonstrations exemplify
action and as such are important.

But we need to ensure that they are not distorted by violence
or sidelined as the actions of extremists. Demonstrations on the
streets of Jakarta demonstrate more tolerance of the expression
of diverse opinions. We must commend those that are already so
active and encourage many more to be similarly motivated and
peacefully vociferous.