RI forced into federal state by 2010
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)