RI forced into federal state by 2010
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Widespread separatist demands will force Indonesia to establish a federal state by 2010, a noted historian said on Saturday.
Anhar Gonggong, who is also the director of history and traditional values at the Ministry of National Education, said here that preparations for a federal state should be complete by 2005, five years before any new system becomes fully operational.
"With separatist movements now looming in several regions of Indonesia, the bureaucracy and political elite are racing against time to avoid national disintegration," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on Sulawesi, a country which has seen a wave of demonstrations demanding independence.
"The threat of separatism in the republic is growing stronger day by day. If we don't come up with a solution immediately, the country will collapse."
Anhar was commenting on the intensifying independence demands in Aceh, Riau, eastern Indonesia and Irian Jaya.
He insisted that a federal state would not lead the country to disintegration, but rather it would maintain Indonesia's national integrity.
"A federal state in Indonesia will still stretch from Sabang to Merauke, without having to disturb the provinces' unity and common interest in achieving welfare together," he said.
Indonesia briefly applied a federal system between 1949 and 1950, following the Dutch's recognition of the Republic of Indonesia's sovereignty over their former colony.
Noted author and cultural activist the late Y.B. Mangunwijaya once proposed that Indonesia adopt a federal system in 2045.
"That proposal now is irrelevant due to the rapid changes taking place. I'm afraid our country will have been torn apart if we do not speed up the formation of a federal state," Anhar said.
He said fundamental changes would have to be made in the state management prior to the establishment of federalism, to avoid friction in the future.
Discrimination
Meanwhile, Edwin H. Soekowati, chairman of the National Democratic Party (PND), and Zainuddin Taha, a lecturer from the state-run Makassar University in South Sulawesi, blamed the regional disappointments on a long-standing discriminative policy by former president Soeharto's government.
Both said separately on Saturday that the growing demands for independence in Aceh and other provinces were as a result of accumulated dissatisfaction.
Edwin said the past government's negligence of the development of Aceh had insulted the people there, who had made a significant contribution to Indonesia's independence in 1945 and produce a large portion of the country's revenues.
"It is not strange to see the Acehnese people, whose province is rich in natural resources, angry with the government," he said.
Zainuddin said prolonged unfair political, economic and legal policies were the seeds of national disintegration.
He warned other provinces, such as Riau, Irian Jaya and East Kalimantan, are waiting for their turn to demand a referendum if the Acehnese are allowed to hold one.
"Demands for referendums and for separations from Indonesia will mount if the central government fails to improve its policies regarding provincial administrations," he said as quoted by Antara.
The government has enacted the Regional Autonomy Law and Fiscal Balance between Central and Local Governments Law to make amends for the centralized administration in the past. The two laws will take effect in 2001. (02/23/emf/rms)