The Jakarta Post panel discussion 2000

On Dec. 5, The Jakarta Post brought together 14 individuals of diverse backgrounds and expertise for a two-day panel discussion in Jakarta to look into the prospects for 2002 from their perspective. We asked each panelist what he or she sees as crucial reforms for the development of a more humane civil society in Indonesia in the coming year.

Participants' backgrounds ranged from thinkers and politicians to practitioners: lawyer Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, former government prosecutor Antonius Sujata, Islamic thinker Azyumardi Azra, politician/economist Benny Pasaribu, businessman Gilbert Wiryadinata, sociologist Ignas Kleden, political analyst Mochtar Pabottingi, writer/columnist Mohamad Sobary, economists Mubyarto, M. Chatib Basri and Pande Radja Silalahi, Kebumen Regent Rustriningsih, political activist Smita Notosusanto, and political analyst/writer Soedjati Djiwandono.

Our moderators were no less impressive: Noted economist Sjahrir, who is also chairman of the New Indonesian Association, and Sabam Siagian, former ambassador to Australia and the Post's own editor-at-large.

To encourage open and frank discussion held at Santika Hotel, we applied the Chatham House rules, whereby anything said could only be used for publication without direct attribution. In today's issue, we present the summary of the fruitful and enlightening discussion.

The articles were written by members of the editorial board: Raymond Toruan, Endy Bayuni, Vincent Lingga, Alex Irwan, Riyadi Suparno, Meidyatama Surjodiningrat, Kornelius Purba and Muhammad Nafik. Santi W. Soekanto, a regular contributor, assisted us in writing one of the articles.