Reform movement 'has borne no fruit'

Reform movement 'has borne no fruit'

JAKARTA (JP): It has been more than a year since the
repressive New Order regime was replaced by a more democratic
government, but it has hardly made any progress a noted lawyer
said over the weekend.

Instead, the anti-reform spirit still casts a shadow over the
newly reborn nation as shown, for example, by bureaucrats who
have no clear direction and build their powers on the basis of
sectarianism and hedonism.

"The top decision makers, without psychological burden, have
enjoyed recreation, arguing that it was for the sake of diplomacy
and future investment," Todung said, in apparent reference to the
many overseas trips President Abdurrahman Wahid has made during
the first year of his tenure.

Todung, known for his reputation as a defender of human
rights, was addressing a group at the Ismail Marzuki Art Center
(TIM), marking the celebration of the center's 32nd anniversary.

In his speech titled When Law and Democracy are Marginalized,
Todung said a gap stands between rural and urban economy, with
people in villages still playing a peripheral role.

"They hardly enjoy the impact of an urban economy which
interacts with other cities, regions and countries," he said.

The economic crisis has not only damaged the rupiah value, but
ruined social and cultural resistance, which in turn results in
social unrest, he maintained.

"Politics of course has a part in the unrest, but what
happened in Maluku, Irian Jaya, Poso and Aceh was a result of a
fragile economy," Todung said.

As for law, he said the New Order characteristic, which had
little respect for the supremacy of law and had reduced the law
to a mere instrument to maintain power, remains extant.

Law is still prone to trading and law enforcers serve
themselves, money and their clients' interest rather than
justice.

"So, don't blame people if they turn violent and run amok.
They don't trust law enforcers anymore, so they see violence as
the only way," Todung said.

He said people could not stand political and economic
injustice any longer and have been frustrated by the pedestrian
efforts to promote democratic values.

"This country's legal basis is indeed weak. History always
refers to fair kings or queens, not a fair system. The colonial
government succeeded in developing fear of law enforcers, not the
law itself," he said. (hdn)