Sunshine patriots stir sentiment in border dispute

Sunshine patriots stir sentiment in border dispute

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta

Malaysia is courting trouble by claiming Indonesian territory,
but it is the "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" who are
stirring the pot by turning a spat into a potential melee.

Few Indonesians, or Malaysians, can point to the spot of the
disputed territory. But the reaction in some Indonesia cities has
been so feverish that is as though a limb had already been torn
from Ibu Pertiwi's (the Motherland) body.

Much has to do with misplaced nationalism. Blind faith that
attracts irrationalism and xenophobia.

"My country, right or wrong" is the rallying cry. Except that
no true patriot would say that because -- to paraphrase G.K.
Chesterton -- it is like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober!"

Timing is everything. The emergence of this dispute,
coincidentally, comes at a time when protests against the fuel
hikes were expected to gain momentum.

It is in this second week of post-fuel price hikes that the
public will start to feel the pinch. When public transportation
fares rise by up to 35 percent, and housewives suddenly realize
-- after shopping at the local market -- that their grocery bags
feel lighter than a fortnight ago, resentment starts to set in.

But the headlines on Monday morning did not reflect their
quiet discontent. Instead, they spoke of warships, jet fighters
and jingoism.

It seems unpatriotic to gripe when -- according to some
sensational headlines -- "war" is imminent. The government did
not stoke the fires but it did little to underline the underlying
amiability between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Instead of saying that the country is readying its most
seasoned diplomats and lawyers to rebuff the claims, it
highlighted the deployment of its aging fleet to protect an empty
sea.

Protests in some cities, especially Sulawesi, attempt to lend
credence to the government's tough response. But what is often
conveniently overlooked is that these demonstrations were
orchestrated by associations of families linked to the military
and police.

To some extent the Indonesian public has been conditioned to
acquire a slight "distaste" for Malaysia over the past month. The
skewed perception of problems faced by thousands of Indonesian
migrant workers in Malaysia -- disproportionate reports of
Indonesians being hunted down by Malaysian authorities or
swindled out of their salaries by errant employers -- has made
Malaysia-bashing more tolerated.

The media is at fault for failing to put these "rifts" into
context, nevertheless they are also being overwhelmed by sources
whose quotes only simmer the dispute.

Over the past three days the diplomats who will ultimately be
tasked to resolve the issue have rarely been heard as military
statements dominate the headlines and airwaves. Almost every
other sentence seems to end either with a "deployment of forces"
or "ready to defend our sovereignty".

For an armed force so in need of a raison d'etre, the
territorial dispute is the perfect panacea. The presence of a
clear and present threat to territorial integrity, forces people
to concede the need for a strong military.

As a President who seeks to tail public sentiment, Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono's visit on Monday to Sebatik Island near the
disputed area was a calculated public relations move. Not
surprisingly, politicians will emulate his visit in the coming
days so that they too may bask in the spotlight.

However, this unduly raises political expectations. Such an
unnecessary show of personal vigilance can make the President
look weak when he must ultimately pursue protracted diplomacy to
resolve the dispute. Already the hardened tones could well soften
in the coming days with a meeting between the Indonesian and
Malaysian foreign ministers expected.

How then will all that tough talk end?

As a soldier, Susilo knows full well that sunshine patriots
eagerly talk about dying for their country. He should also ask
them if they are willing to kill for their country?