Six-year-old reform drive going nowhere, critics say
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta
Six years after the onset of the reform movement that was triggered by the death of four Trisakti University students in Jakarta in May 1998 at the hands of security personnel, the nation has yet to see substantial changes in political, economic and social life, activists say.
Student activists shared their concern on Tuesday about the uncertainties in political, economic and social affairs despite the nation's reform movement they were part of.
Syafik Alielha, who was formerly an activist with anti-New Order student group City Forum (Forkot), said what had happened in the country over the past six years reflected the state's failure to uphold the reform agenda.
Despite the lives lost in the shooting incidents and the subsequent riots in May 1998, he said, none of the perpetrators, let alone the masterminds, were brought to court.
"The state has made a big mistake because it has not brought the perpetrators to court...This has set a bad precedent for our future," he told The Jakarta Post here.
Syafik is now an activist with the Indonesian Youth Struggle Front (FPPI), a group that campaigns for democratization.
Sayeb Junaidi, who was an activist with the Forum of Communication for Jakarta's Students Senate (FKSMJ) six years ago, underlined that most of policies adopted by the current government benefited the elite at the expense of people at the grass roots.
Forkot and FKSMJ were among many student groups in Jakarta that dared to challenge the government of president Soeharto.
Many other student groups staged rallies in cities across the country, demanding that Soeharto step down after 32 years in power and called for sweeping reforms.
Soeharto quit just nine days after Elang Mulya Lesmana, Hafidhin Royan, Hendriawan Sie, and Herry Hartanto were killed in their peaceful struggle to put Soeharto's dictatorship to an end.
The shooting incident on May 12 was followed by massive riots and looting, which subsided only on May 15. It was during the rioting that hundreds of Chinese-Indonesian women were allegedly raped.
An independent investigation revealed that the riots occurred in a systematic pattern across Greater Jakarta. Students, still mourning, kept themselves from the streets.
An ad hoc team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights declared in September last year that crimes against humanity were found during the May 1998 riots.
However, further legal action on the case did not materialize because of opposition from the House of Representatives, the institution authorized to call for an ad hoc human rights tribunal.
"Only the victims of the riots and their families still feel the agony while others have forgotten," Syafik said.
He regretted the fact that the majority of people had short memories.
"The emergence of Golkar Party as the winner of the general election clearly shows that," he said, referring to the Golkar which was the political machine of Soeharto's New Order government.
He acknowledged there were some improvements in democracy, including the direct presidential election and the removal of the military and the police from the House -- which will become effective after October of this year.
Unfortunately, he said, the adoption of the new political system was a formality without the empowering of civil society, which is important to ensure checks and balances are in place.
"The new system is necessary but not sufficient," he said.
He added that the failure of the reform movement was the failure of the whole nation, particularly the political elite who were unable to assure people at the grass roots of a better future.
"The inability to show something promising to the people has made the people distrust civilian leaders," he added.
"This situation has apparently helped Gen. (ret) Wiranto and Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono emerge as strong contenders for the July 5 presidential election."