Repressive shadow looms

Repressive shadow looms

For the new generation of Indonesians freedom of expression might look like a new phenomenon because this very basic right has been curtailed for no less than four decades.

The New Order regime of president Soeharto, which took over from Sukarno's Guided Democracy in 1966 promised to respect all the basic freedoms. But he kept the pledge only for the first six years of his decades of rule. That was during a brief honeymoon between him and the democratic forces who had supported his ascent to power and lasted until 1974.

Between that year and the day of his downfall in disgrace in May Indonesians suffered under his brutal repression wielding its military muscle against the people.

When President B. J. Habibie came to power and made the same promise, the people compared the starkly different backgrounds of the two.

Soeharto had come more or less from political obscurity with a fresh determination to improve conditions while Habibie seemed to be badly in need of strong political will and sincerity to detach himself from Soeharto's shadow.

Habibie's first six months prove that he has not been successful in this respect. He has made many wise statements and promises but still needs to show that he can translate them into reality.

The way he has been facing his political opponents lately is the latest evidence of the beginning of a disaster. At the very least the president is clearly at a loss as to who he is and what he is supposed to be in a changing society.

By accusing his critics of being involved in a subversive plot -- a deadly charge which was a trade mark of the Soeharto regime -- also shows that he has started to panic very easily. His situation must have been worsened by the problem of political legitimacy and advice he has received from certain opportunistic legal pundits while turning a deaf ear to sincere legal experts, who have warned him of how serious the charge is.

This kind of reaction, combined with the way his military commander has crushed the voice of the students, has apparently become his Achilles Heel. If he continues to work this way we are afraid that freedom of the press will also receive fall-out.

His unexpected political intolerance might worsen the press condition and is a far cry from people's political education. The way certain groups of society react to the newly regained freedom really demonstrates a need for education.

There is an awkward trend among the groups -- which mostly spring up overnight -- speaking on behalf of religion and which try to intimidate some news media for coverage they believe does not satisfy their group. The method looks like nothing so much as an expression of frustration due to their inability to set up their own media organization.

This trend might look trivial but from the point of democratic values this is a fully negative habit. Harassing people by claiming to be a spokesman of a certain religion can be counterproductive to the religion itself besides harming the journalistic profession.

Press freedom still awaits completion, for example through the setting up an independent press watch body for the sake of the profession and the nation's democratic system.

However, the most important element is that the freedom of speech and expression and all other basic freedoms can only survive when the government and the people understand the genuine values of democracy. The absence of this will turn back the clock to the dark era of the Old Order regime.