Time not ripe for people's power, researcher says

Time not ripe for people's power, researcher says

DEPOK (JP): Indonesians are so full of rage over the
prevailing social and political injustices that they would not be
able to wage a campaign for reform through people's power, an
expert said.

Hermawan Sulistyo, a researcher at the National Institute of
Sciences (LIPI), told an assembly of 5,000 students from the
University of Indonesia and other colleges here Thursday that
Indonesia has neither symbolic figureheads nor spiritual leaders
that would enable its people to establish a people's power
movement like the ones in the Philippines during President Marcos
and Iran under Shah Reza Pahlavi.

He said a successful people's power usually has three
characteristics: the absence of anger, so that a campaign becomes
peaceful, the presence of symbolic figureheads and the presence
of spiritual leaders, such as Cardinal Sin in the Philippines.

"Here, our people are full of anger because of the wide
economic gap," Hermawan said. "I am not sure we'll see the
emergence of a people's power."

Other speakers at the "grand discussion", held by University
of Indonesia (UI) students, on social change and a demand for
reform included former ministers Emil Salim and Siswono
Yudohusodo, political observer Wimar Witoelar and respected
scholar Selo Soemardjan.

Hermawan, who was among a small group of LIPI researchers who
earlier this year publicly rejected the nomination of President
Soeharto to his seventh term, added that students should be in
the forefront for campaigning for change and to give voice to
people's aspiration.

If necessary, he pointed out, "there should be martyrs from
among UI or ITB students" in the campaign for reform. ITB is the
Bandung Institute of Technology.

Hermawan also described how in the face of so great a
suffering, especially during the past nine months due to the
economic crisis, Indonesian people remained quiet. He blamed the
passivity on pressure from the power holders and Indonesians'
ability to adjust to suffering.

"But everything has its limit, people have their limit of
endurance, intellectuals have their limit," he said in reference
to the growing clamor for change voiced by students and
intellectuals.

Wimar attributed the deterioration in social, economic and
political lives of Indonesians to an administration that was fast
losing its legitimacy. He also said Indonesia had, in fact,
surpassed various "points" where crucial reforms should have
taken place.

Wimar cited how Thailand and South Korea changed their leaders
as a response to the collapse of their economies. "Those crucial
points have been passed over in Indonesia," he said.

"It's amazing how patient Indonesian people are, and how great
is their fear..."

Hermawan concurred, citing how small the space is for people
to speak up and express what's on their mind. "This is a republic
of fear," he said.

Siswono, who was known to be outspoken even when he was a
cabinet minister between 1993 and 1998, said: "The people's
aspiration need not develop into a people's power and become
confronted with other forms of power, as long as the authorities
heed the people's aspiration."

He called for the authorities to be wise and to open their
arms to various people's aspirations, including their demand for
a clean government, a democratic political life, respect for
human rights and justice, an adequate supply of essentials at
affordable prices and an ethical business life.

Siswono noted a deterioration in social and political scenes
since the New Order administration assumed power in 1968. He said
the period between 1968 and the mid-1970s was marked with
idealism and an enthusiasm to improve people's welfare.

Between the mid-1970s and 1987, the drive for development
started to be marred with violations and abuses of authority. The
period between 1987 and the beginning of 1997 was marked with
even greater violations because of poor control and weak state
administration, he said.

"You students have been calling for a clean, respectable
government, and this noble ideal is something that is shared by
all political civilizations that ever existed," he said.

"A corrupt government will (create) resistance at a high
price... while a clean government will certainly draw people's
support," he said. (swe)