Serious scholars becoming rare in Indonesia

Serious scholars becoming rare in Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Truly dedicated intellectuals are becoming a
rarity in Indonesia. The bulk of intellectuals have fallen
victims of the government's tight control on the freedom of
expression.

This grievance was aired yesterday by well-known scholar
Mochtar Buchori, a former rector of the Muhammadiyah Teachers
Training Institute in Jakarta and a former senior researcher at
the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

"Correct interpretation of everything is monopolized by the
government," he told The Jakarta Post. He said intellectuals are
often placed in an awkward position by the government when they
have critical assessments on particular issues.

If the government wants scholars to have more say in the
development of the nation, it should guarantee the freedom of
expression, he added.

Buchori's remarks were in response to Minister/State Secretary
Moerdiono's statement that local scholars should not limit their
role as independent observers but should also have an ideological
commitment to doing something concrete for the people's benefit.

Moerdiono made the statement on Monday when installing senior
officials of LIPI, an institution which answers directly to the
President.

Moerdiono suggested that scholars should contribute their
ideas to state strategic matters. "There is something that our
intellectuals can give that their foreign counterparts can't:
ideological commitment," he said.

Scholars are committed to actively improving their society
and, therefore, they must be action-oriented. "The ideological
commitment will not erode their independence," Moerdiono added.

Buchori said lots of Indonesian intellectuals can be bought to
serve the interests of the buyers.

Many others are lured by well-paid positions offered by the
bureaucracy, he said. They are then committed not to the truth
but to their masters in the bureaucracy, he added.

"When scholars join the government, they change their way of
thinking into one of a bureaucrat. Those who work in ministries'
research and development departments downgrade themselves into
artisans," he said.

He said many intellectuals in government institutions, like
LIPI and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of
Technology (BPPT), do not have fresh ideas to offer.

Too many government policies, such as the uncountable economic
deregulations, are made to satisfy the interests of certain
groups rather than the nation, he noted.

Buchori, who angered Moslem leaders in Muhammadiyah for
joining the Indonesian Democratic Party last year, said he would
support Moerdiono' advice if the "ideology" is oriented on
humanity not politics.

In Surakarta, sociologist Ariel Heryanto, of the Satya Wacana
Christian University, said that the government should be more
worried about capitalists rather than about intellectuals.

"Intellectuals criticize the government for the betterment of
political, economic and legal practices," he told the Post.

Business conglomerate owners, Ariel said, have been expanding
at such a rate they can threaten the credibility of the
government, which has given them the numerous facilities.

It is common knowledge that capitalists will do anything such
as offering bribes to officials to get everything they want from
the government, he reckoned.

Collusion between businessmen and bureaucrats has become so
deep-rooted that it is difficult to create clean governance in
Indonesia.

"Many government decrees benefit the businesses and hurt the
interests of the masses. This undermines people's trust in the
government," he said,

By contrast, intellectuals in Indonesia have hardly any power.
What they can do is to point at the widespread corruption,
injustices and cry for democracy, he added.

Darmanto Jatman, a staff lecturer at Diponegoro University, in
Semarang, said almost all scholars in Indonesia are civil
servants and so are loyal to the government.

"If they are asked to convert to Islam, they will do so. If
the government asks them to jump, they will say 'how high?' and
if they are kicked they won't even scream," he said.

Darmanto, also a well-known cultural observer, said that
Indonesian intellectuals and journalists have something in
common: They only talk and don't have the guts to do anything to
challenge the government. (pan/har)