Unbeatable spirit shines on

Kornelius Purba and Harry Bhaskara, Staff Writers, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta korpur@yahoo.com

Indonesians throughout the archipelago will be celebrating their country's Independence Day on Sunday. The day is generally seen as an occasion for national thanksgiving, but it is perhaps difficult for many Indonesians to think of what they should be grateful for, given the country's current situation 58 years after it came into being.

Apart from the regalia of state functions, the people will celebrate in their own ways. Traditionally, a communal prayer on behalf of Indonesia is held on the eve of Aug. 17. A neighborhood community would gather to express their gratitude for the blessings the nation has received from God -- such as freedom, progress in development, prosperity and sense of security -- however imperfect they may be, and pray for His continued protection for Indonesia.

Then they will turn to the fun part of the day, with competitions from volley ball to entertaining games, trying to mark the day as joyfully as possible.

Since it won its freedom from the Dutch colonial government and subsequent Japanese invaders in 1945, the country has gone through much rain and shine.

During the 30-year repressive New Order regime, it achieved some significant strides in improving the people's welfare, notably in health and education, and maintained a relative peace throughout the country.

On the occasion of its golden anniversary in 1995, Soeharto, who was then at the peak of his power, read the following poem in his State of the Nation address at the House of Representatives (DPR):

We have struggled for 50 years,

we have passed through joys and sorrows,

and we have worked hard,

This year, we can rejoice.

Indonesia was then enjoying an average of seven percent annual economic growth, and the world was full of praise for the country, calling it a model for developing countries.

An unforeseen series of events occurred in 1997 with the Asian economic crisis and Indonesia, as it turned out, suffered the most compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

But the nation celebrated its 53rd year of independence in 1998 in a state of euphoria at their liberation from Soeharto's dictatorial rule just three months before the anniversary -- even though the economy was at the brink of bankruptcy.

Ironically, once the dictator had gone, the country's condition -- surprisingly or otherwise -- continued to worsen in nearly all aspects of life until now.

When the country held its first democratic election in 40 years in June 1999, the world media described Indonesians as having drawn closer to being a true democracy and as being on the right track for economic recovery. The people stunned the world by holding the election peacefully and in a democratic manner, despite their recent past under an oppressive regime.

They proved the fears of the international community to be unfounded, and the world warmly welcomed respected Muslim cleric Abdurrahman Wahid as the country's fourth president in October 1999.

It was only two months later that the people realized that they were led by a president whose political vision might be too far ahead of the ordinary people. He was often seen by the public as having a special talent in creating controversies, on top of his penchant for seeking enemies and his fondness for touring the globe with no apparent benefits to the nation.

As Independence Day draws ever nearer, a question arises as to whether President Megawati Soekarnoputri have the courage and faith to recite a poem similar to Soeharto's in her State of the Nation address on Saturday.

What progress have we achieved as a nation since then? Are we truly independent as a nation? From what sufferings have we been liberated by the government?

We certainly have not freed ourselves from poverty, from the worsening quality of education, from raging unemployment, from unpredictable security situations, ... The list is exhaustive.

Only four days after Megawati triumphantly announced her achievement in restoring security and order, terrorists bombed the JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta on Aug. 5, killing 12 people and wounding 147. It seems it was the first time the elite refrained from blaming other countries as being responsible for the terrorist attack, and police investigators sifted through the rubble immediately to track down the perpetrators.

It would be totally misleading to conclude that Indonesia has no hope. The more likely scenario is that the ordinary people will prove next year, once again, that they are intelligent and mature enough to take part in the first-ever direct presidential election. We would bet, as they proved in 1999, that the people will use their constitutional rights peacefully. However, we cannot ignore the possibility that some power-hungry elite might provoke riots and violence to promote their own interests.

Over the next few days, it will be common to hear people singing Kebyar-kebyar, a nationalistic song by the late Gombloh:

Biarpun bumi berguncang,

(Although the earth is shaken,)

kau tetap Indonesiaku

(You remain my Indonesia)

andaikan matahari terbit dari barat

(even when the sun rises in the west)

kaupun tetap Indonesiaku.

(you still remain my Indonesia.)

On this important day, we need to learn from the unbreakable spirit of people like Kosim, a 38-year-old vendor who sells instant noodles and coffee along the sidewalk of Jl. Ngurah Rai, East Jakarta. Public security and order (Kamtib) officers -- who also collect protection money from him -- have frequently seized his small pushcart because the East Jakarta mayor feels disturbed every time he sees vendors along the street.

Kosim has learned how to escape quickly with his cart when Kamtib officers descend in a sudden raid.

"At least eight people depend on me and my business for their lives. I am no thief. I have to survive," he said last week after escaping a raid.

Indonesia has come a long way these past 58 years, and has made some significant changes in our political system. But there is much that can and must be done to improve the welfare of this nation and its peoples so we must continue forth in the face of adversity in our journey toward light at the end of the tunnel.

This Independence Day, perhaps we should all be grateful for our national resilience, especially the unbeatable spirit of our people.