Persistent harassment

Persistent harassment

One can only be amazed at the lengths to which the government
is prepared to go to in trying to demolish the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) led by Megawati Sukarnoputri. President
B.J. Habibie is repeating the mistakes of his predecessor
Soeharto with his persistent harassment of the PDI Perjuangan, as
the Megawati camp is popularly called to distinguish it from the
PDI executive board created by the government. Just as during the
Soeharto years, the harder the current government tries, the
worse its image gets, both at home and abroad, while at the same
time, the more popular Megawati becomes.

One would think that the government would have learned its
lesson by now. But then, we may be overstating the intellectual
capacity of both past and present governments.

In the latest round of harassment, the government is trying to
shift the venue of a congress the PDI Perjuangan is planning to
hold next week away from Bali. The reason given is that Bali is
Indonesia's prime tourist destination and that foreigners could
be discouraged from going to the island, should the event turn
rowdy and violent.

Admittedly, many PDI congresses in recent years have turned
into physical clashes between the party's bickering camps,
evidence of which can be seen as recently as last month, when a
congress held by the government-backed PDI executive board in
Palu, Central Sulawesi, was marred by riots. However, a closer
look at these incidents reveals that the bickering, and hence the
violence, has resulted because of heavy-handed government
intervention. Three congresses held by the party in 1993 turned
violent as a result of the government's attempts to prevent
Megawati's election to the party chair, against the wishes of the
party's rank and file. In 1996, a breakaway group, backed by the
government and the military, held a congress and ousted Megawati.

Now, under the multiparty system, there is no reason for
anyone to quarrel about which of the two camps has the legitimate
claim to represent the PDI. They are essentially two different
parties with different leaders and supporters, but with the same
name. One is no more and no less legitimate than the other
because their ultimate legitimacy will be decided upon by the
people at next year's general election. That means there is
little likelihood of infighting at the PDI congress.

The government's warning that the Bali meeting could turn
riotous and drive tourists away is unfounded. That is, unless the
government knows something that the rest of the nation doesn't
with regards to plans to disrupt the meeting. Even if this is the
case, then it's the job of the police to ensure the safety of
congress participants and maintain peace and order.

The attempt to shift the congress away from Bali also begs
basic constitutional questions. Does this mean that Bali should
be free from political activities for the sake of tourists'
dollars? What does this say about the rights of the Balinese
people?

One can't help but feel that the government's real intention
is to deny the PDI Perjuangan its right to assemble, and that the
government is likely come up with similar excuses if any other
venue is chosen: Jakarta is too close to the nation's business
heart, Yogyakarta too close to the nation's art and cultural
center, and Surabaya too close to vital industrial sites.

The attempt to ban the PDI congress is certainly consistent
with the persistent and systematic way in which the government
has harassed Megawati and her supporters since 1996. Some of her
supporters have been labeled communists and jailed; others were
subjected to physical abuse -- on this count one immediately
recalls the bloody attack on the PDI's Jakarta headquarters by a
bunch of thugs in July 1996 while the police stood back and
watched. Megawati and her camp were also barred from contesting
the 1997 election.

President Habibie has not been much better in his treatment of
Megawati and her supporters. In July, his government barred
Megawati from holding a rally in Jakarta's Senayan Sports Palace,
a venue subsequently used by many of the newly established
political parties for their rallies.

The authorities have tried virtually everything in their
power, from intimidation and disinformation to terror campaigns,
to destroy Megawati and her camp. Not only have they failed, they
have inadvertently made the PDI Perjuangan stronger and more
popular. Should Megawati win the election next year -- assuming
that the PDI Perjuangan is allowed to contest it -- she will have
the government to thank for her success.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that this harassment will
come to an end, and there is no telling how far the government is
prepared to go, especially if it becomes exasperated, to achieve
its goal of destroying Megawati's PDI. We hope the government
will soon come to its senses and stop seeing Megawati and her PDI
Perjuangan as a threat, and instead treat them as one of many
political parties preparing to contest next year's general
election. Whether they win or not, that's for the voters decide.