Some good reasons not to promote Mangku Pastika, yet

I Wayan Juniartha, Journalist, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The current hot issue among journalists assigned to Bali Police headquarters could be summed up in just six words: "Mangku Pastika out, Gorries Mere in".

Initially, this was just a rumor, but it has gained ground in the last few days, particularly after its confirmation by a local journalist known for having an extensive network of contacts on the force.

He explained that Pastika, a two-star general, would be promoted to National Police headquarters in Jakarta as head of the prestigious Criminal Investigation Department, a position usually reserved for three-star generals. He would be replaced as Bali Police chief by Gorries Mere, a one-star general.

"The transfer will likely take place early next year, either on January or February," he said.

Both Pastika and Mere have played important roles in the Bali bombing investigation. While Pastika was responsible for directing the investigative process, Mere led a group of highly trained detectives to track down and apprehend the suspects.

In this respect, the transfer could be viewed as simply a replacement of one fine and able officer by another.

Bali, however, is not a simple island community that can be managed successfully by just any fine and able officer. The island and its population has ceased to be -- or perhaps never was -- a peaceful abode of deeply spiritual, peace-loving and highly civilized people, the image incessantly presented and amplified by the tourism industry and local bureaucrats, and one which is blindly believed by most Balinese themselves.

Various events of recent years, such as the schism between the modernist camp and the traditionalist camp of the Hindu religious authoritative body Parisadha, the rampant intercultural village clashes, recurring violent conflicts between supporters of rival political parties, the rising -- albeit almost unnoticeable -- ethnic tension between native Balinese and Muslim migrants from Java, growing unemployment caused by the post-bombing declining economic condition, and the aggravating, widespread drug-and- alcohol culture among its youth, suggest that the task is certainly not a Sunday picnic for any police chief.

The island, therefore, needs a police chief with a deep understanding and knowledge of the local population's unique culture and character flaws. Moreover, he also must have the legitimacy and personal courage needed to handle, firmly, effectively and with sensitivity, the island's common "crimes", such as violent clashes between two customary villages triggered by an ownership dispute over a sacred temple.

The police chiefs before Pastika, with the exception of Brig. Gen. Budi Setyawan, were generally too intimidated by these sensitive cases to act effectively. Instead, they tended to leave the legal law enforcement approach out of the equation. In most cases, this approach not only aggravated the situation, but, by making certain groups believe that they were above the law, also guaranteed the perpetuity of the "crimes".

"So far, Mangku Pastika is the most legitimate police chief the island has ever had. He also has the guts to deal firmly with these sensitive cases," cultural observer I Ketut Sumartha pointed out.

The legitimacy must have something to do with his brilliant achievement in solving the bombing case. The fact that he was a Balinese, a devout and learned Hindu and a generous patron of numerous temples must also have, to some extent, provided pivotal leverage in tackling sensitive issues. His courage, however, obviously stems from personal convictions.

"I am a Balinese and I hate to see this beautiful island being placed in harm's way by its own people. I will do anything in my capacity to prevent that from taking place," Pastika once said.

Most importantly, Pastika is a nonpartisan officer, an excellent quality in a police chief on an island where political competition has, for decades, been transformed by the parties' grassroots supporters into brutal, bloody street brawls.

The recent clashes between supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party, in which two lives were lost, was a fine demonstration of Pastika's personal conviction and nonpartisanship. Under his leadership, the police aggressively pursued and investigated the case, which led to the arrests of dozens of PDI Perjuangan supporters.

For some people, rounding up the members of the present ruling party is a "politically incorrect" action, which could cost an officer his future career. In the past, many police chiefs had chosen to ignore such incidents and thus indirectly permitted the escalation of terror and political feuding.

Currently, given the fact that the island is divisively split into two equally strong, opposing political camps -- PDI Perjuangan and Golkar -- many people fear that the recent clashes were just a prelude to more bitter, bloodier and more widespread incidents of political violence in the immediate future.

Most members of elite society -- including the governor and regents -- claim allegiance to one political party or another, which hinders them from making objective assessment and taking just action once violence erupts. This makes it all the more imperative for the island to have a strong, non-partisan police chief ahead of and during the upcoming 2004 general elections.

"Pastika could handle them, but if he leaves before the elections, then we will likely see many more incidents of political violence. Such incidents will surely send the island's economy and its tourism industry, which are still struggling to recover from the aftershocks of the bombings, SARS, the Iraq War and dysentery, into an early grave," businessman Tjahjadi said.

"He (Pastika) is simply one of the handful of Balinese elites who are honest enough to admit that the island is facing grave problems and knows how to cope with them. Knowing that he could not depend on the island's political elites, formal leaders and official apparatuses, Pastika cleverly mobilized traditional and religious leaders to rally behind his cause of protecting the island from the upcoming political upheaval," Sumartha noted.

Just a few days ago, on Dec. 5, Pastika invited 110 pedanda, or Hindu high priests, from all over Bali to a gathering at the holy temple of Uluwatu. In accordance with ancient religious customs, Pastika kneeled and placed punia sacred offerings in front of each and every pedanda, then asked for their assistance to keep the Balinese people calm on the eve of the general elections.

In the end, Pastika not only won their hearts, but also their approval for his firm legal measures in dealing with political violence and sensitive issues. This is certainly a huge boost for the police, since the high priests wield an insurmountable influence over the Balinese.

From this perspective, therefore, promoting Pastika prior to the elections will not only prove to be an ill-timed decision, but also an unnecessary risk that could cost the central government its prized property, the island's lucrative tourism industry.

The island, on the other hand, will surely lose much more than just an industry. It might lose itself.

Of course, Pastika is an officer of the Indonesian National Police and thus subject to transfers or tours of duty to any corner of the archipelago. But if Pastika must be promoted to a three-star general, would the National Police chief and President Megawati mind doing it after the 2004 elections, please?