Should minority groups form parties?

Should minority groups form parties?

By Aleksius Jemadu

BANDUNG (JP): Like it or not, a political distinction between
the majority and minority groups in Indonesian politics remains
an undeniable fact.

Those who are in the majority group have a natural tendency to
aspire to a bigger role in the political system. The minority
groups, on the other hand, tend to demand factual recognition as
an integral part of the nation.

The minority groups in Indonesia are normally associated with
particular religious and ethnic affiliations. They include
Christians, followers of Buddhism and Hinduism and Chinese-
Indonesians.

It is interesting to know how these groups would channel their
political aspirations in the new era. Should each form its own
political party? Or should they choose to merge with other major
political parties which are based on nonprimordial principles?

During Soeharto's rule, minority groups were required to join
the political amalgamations established by the New Order
government in the early 1970s. The above-mentioned groups
integrated themselves with the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
Otherwise they would join the dominant party Golkar. Endless
internal conflict within PDI and the peripheralization of the
minority groups by Golkar elite have apparently led to widespread
dissatisfaction among members of these groups.

It is only natural if now, in this era of political reform,
the minority groups would be encouraged to form their own
political party. They might argue that this is the only effective
way to have a say in the political system. However, it is equally
valid to suggest such partisan politics could even lead to more
sectarianism in our pluralistic society.

Establishing new political parties based on religious and
ethnic affiliations would be an anachronism as the nation is
struggling to unite all social and political forces to deal with
the severity of the economic crisis.

This is precisely the reason why the minority groups should
endorse the emergence of new political parties which are based on
more inclusive principles.

Indonesia does need political parties which promote
nationalism, democracy, protection of human rights, people's
welfare and social justice. No religion or ethnic group would be
against these universally accepted values.

Thus, by defending such values, the minority groups have
transformed their minority situation into political finesse and
self-confidence. The prospect of the Indonesian democratic state
will not depend on any kind of primordialism but on the
incorporation of universal humanity in its political system.

Minority groups in Indonesia should learn from the Jewish
community in the United States. They do not have their own
political party, but they can do a lot for the benefit of the
whole nation. The Jewish lobby is said to have a big role in the
formulation and implementation of American foreign policy
especially in the Middle East.

There are several real suggestions that need to be considered
by the minority groups so that their existence and aspirations
might be recognized by the whole nation.

First, they have to change their "inferiority complex" into a
more positive attitude. They have to convince themselves that,
like other citizens, they have an equal opportunity to serve the
nation through different fields of activity. Some prominent
Chinese-Indonesians have given their to the nation. Rudy Hartono,
Susi Susanti and Kwik Kian Gie, to name a few, are genuine
patriots in their respective professions who the nation can be
proud of.

By displaying outstanding accomplishments in sports,
education, mass media, entrepreneurship and technology, the
minority groups can improve Indonesia's competitive edge vis-a-
vis other nations.

Second, it is argued that the prospect of Indonesian democracy
will flourish if there is a process of convergence among
different political orientations in its pluralistic society.

However, such convergence must be achieved through promotion
of mutual trust and solidarity. Therefore, the minority groups
are expected to show their sense of nationalism and patriotism
before they put forward their partisan interests.

If this suggestion is accepted, then it would be wise for the
minority groups not to waste their resources in establishing a
sectarian political party.

Instead, they could take the initiative to support political
parties with more inclusive and nationalistic orientations.

Moreover, minority parties will have to face the risk of being
selected out if they fail to meet certain requirements stipulated
by the new election law.

Third, the creation of new political parties along religious
and ethnic affiliations could jeopardize the process of nation-
building. The more urgent thing to do is to encourage a sense of
togetherness among social members on voluntary basis.

In this regard, several prominent Christian universities do
have a unique responsibility. The student body of these
universities consists of a large, if not majority, proportion of
students of Chinese descent and a significant number of
"indigenous" students.

Unfortunately, up till now, the administrations of the
universities seem to be indifferent to the process of
assimilation among their students. Leaders of the universities
could develop educational program with an aim to encourage mutual
understanding and compassion among students of different
religions or ethnic groups.

The saddening reality is that day to day social relationships
among students of the universities are noticeably based on their
different ethnicities. There seems to be a gap between students
of Chinese descent and the rest. This kind of social dichotomy
among the nation's young generation needs to be changed.

Otherwise, seeds of suspicion and hatred will spread right
from the very center of modern civilization. Hopefully, the
participation of the minority groups in more inclusive and
nationalistic political parties can strengthen Indonesia's
national unity.

The writer is the head of the school of international
relations at Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung. He is also
a researcher at the Parahyangan Center for International Studies.