Six-year-old reform drive going nowhere, critics say

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."