Teachers' Golkar move gets cool response

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Teachers Association's (PGRI) recent reassertion of political loyalty to Golkar has received cool responses from two respected observers.

Arbi Sanit and Arief Budiman told The Jakarta Post over the weekend the endorsement was logical because the association has been affiliated to Golkar from the outset.

They said association members are civil servants and therefore subject to being politically and economically "squeezed" if they fail to openly swing their support behind Golkar.

Arbi Sanit, a political scholar from the University of Indonesia, said the state has undemocratically coopted teachers politically and economically.

Teachers are required to join the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps (Korpri), and civil servants have to vote for Golkar, he said.

Korpri teachers are paid by the state and therefore reliant on the government for their careers. They are politically controlled by the government, he said.

Association chairman Basyuni Suriamiharja said last Friday PGRI members did not have to vote Golkar.

"They are free to vote for any political organization they like," he said.

The 1,5 million-strong PGRI is the only recognized association for Indonesian teachers.

Arbi said Basyuni was merely talking political jargon. "It was a lie," he said.

He said many teachers complain that they work hard but have compulsory deductions of their salaries, are paid late and have slow career advancement.

Basyuni knows that only too well, but he is worried about teachers' living conditions and he needs to repeat his call for association members to vote for Golkar, Arbi said.

The association has endorsed Golkar in all five general elections since 1971.

Arbi said it was ironic that Golkar was doing little to defend the interests of teachers.

Separately, Salatiga-based sociologist Arief Budiman told the Post there is nothing odd about association members voting Golkar in the upcoming general election.

Arief said the association is under pressure from the government to support Golkar.

Some other organizations, notably those affiliated to Golkar, have been made to demonstrate their allegiance to the New Order government, he said.

On Oct. 1 an estimated 50,000 members of Muhammadiyah Moslem organization staged a rally in support of the New Order government.

The youth organization Pemuda Pancasila joined a rally in Jakarta on Oct. 19 commemorating the 32nd anniversary of Golkar and reaffirmed their support for Golkar.

No single organization dares demonstrate opposition to the government, he said.

"Obviously there is indirect pressure on organizations. It shows our political condition is unhealthy," Arif said.

By calling on members to vote Golkar in next general election, the teachers association is engaging in politics, Arief said.

He said that as a professional organization, the PGRI should not engage in politics. But since there is pressure to do so, there is no single professional organization that is not involved in politics. (03)