Indonesia Needs to Exorcise the Ghosts Of Sukarno and Suharto to Move On

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Indonesia Needs to Exorcise the Ghosts Of Sukarno and Suharto to Move On
Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull | April 13, 2012

All this sounds like modern Indonesia has only learned to commit the same mistakes of the past.’

There has been a growing number of calls to rehabilitate the good names of Sukarno and Suharto. We’ve been told it’s all in the name of national reconciliation and a desire to move on. Yet at the same time, reconciliation is one of those political buzzwords that ironically has the ability to divide people. One wonders whether politicians know what they mean when they use it.

For all its positive overtones of forgiveness and moving on to a better future, reconciliation is to do with the memory of past history and a sober judgment on a nation. In essence, one cannot have reconciliation, or forgiveness of past errors, without a serious attempt to open up the nation’s history; trying as objectively as possible to evaluate the past without keeping dark events hidden or presenting a politicized version of the nation’s past in an attempt to legitimize contemporary political agendas.

Reading back into the past and forcing onto it the agendas of contemporary interest groups is a common pitfall across the ages. It is always an indication of a false familiarity that serves neither historical truth nor the contemporary desire to make sense of the past.

Only by recognizing that Sukarno and Suharto are no longer our contemporaries can we hope to see them more clearly, and in doing so, ourselves.

It is fair to say both Sukarno and Suharto had a disproportionate influence on the history of modern Indonesia, and remain larger-than-life characters.

In President Sukarno, many people found a great nationalist, someone who put Indonesia on the pedestal of international recognition, whose rhetoric was unmatched and who united a fractious Indonesia under the banner of nationalism, religion and, controversially, an Indonesian form of communism.

He led a collection of serfs — a former colony — into a great nation, making world leaders in London, The Hague, Moscow, Beijing and Washington look on in awe. He was a man not easily dismissed, neither here nor abroad.

However he did eventually bring the country to the brink of ruin. There was also gross economic mismanagement, leading to shortages of basic daily necessities and, eventually, the collapse of the national economy.

Sukarno presided over the dismantling of Indonesia’s fledgling democracy and imprisoned many of his political opponents, such as Sutan Sjahrir, Sjafruddin Prawiranegara and Mohammad Natsir. Under his reign, the formerly professional and independent civil service created by the Dutch was politicized. Under Sukarno, public servants had to support the government’s party or they were fired.

He also weakened the independence of the Indonesian judiciary and demoralized judges so much that the effects of that intimidation remain even to this day. In all this, he laid the foundations of the New Order authoritarianism under Suharto.

President Suharto’s regime, by comparison, was seen as subdued and sober, lacking the flashes, gongs and antics of Sukarno. Nevertheless, Suharto restored the economy, laid the foundations for today’s economic boom and Indonesia’s emergence as a country of determining influence for Southeast Asia and its neighbors further afield such as Australia, China and India.

At the same time, there are sufficient historical records to indicate he was a corrupt and ruthless autocrat, implicated, along with others, in the murder of possibly hundreds of thousands of his fellow Indonesians. He amassed a fortune, despoiling the public purse on a staggering scale. And the illicit funds still remain largely in the hands of his family and cronies, with only moderately successful and concentrated efforts taken to retrieve them.

When he resigned, on May 21, 1998, Suharto publicly apologized for his mistakes. His resignation came close on the heels of many deaths and disappearances during the student protests that led to his downfall. His coming to power was accompanied by bloodshed and his ignominious ending likewise. He seemed wedded to conflict and left behind a nation that continues to be embroiled in divisions and outbreaks of violence.

One wonders what was going through Suharto’s mind, if anything, when he referred to his “mistakes” — a mild enough word that implies not only the need for an apology, but also the necessity of backing up the apology with deeds that give the apology credence and value. It is one thing to say you are sorry; it is another to walk away after having plundered the country and keeping what you took.

Of course, Suharto denied ever having been corrupt. Before he died, referring to attempts to regain state funds from him, he said, “It’s all empty talk. Let them accuse me. The fact is that I have never committed corruption.”

At the same time, not everyone’s hands are clean. The communists, the early victims of Suharto’s authoritarian regime, had reason to be contrite.

For years they terrorized whoever they perceived to be political opponents, creating such a culture of fear that when the communists were blamed for the failed September 30 coup in 1965, their erstwhile “victims,” such as Nahdlatul Ulama’s youth movement, Ansor, saw the murders of the generals as the first move in apocalyptic warfare. They then launched pre-emptive attacks, massacring the communists and their alleged sympathizers in Central and Eastern Java and Bali, with the tacit blessing of the military.

Today, the sum of these events, their meaning and impact remain unresolved and Indonesians disagree how to recall, analyze, understand and learn from them. The dark past is simply too painful to recall, and too politically sensitive, and thus the recent calls for reconciliation and rehabilitation sound like a good step toward addressing this problem.

Still, it is doubtful that this kind of reconciliation is what the politicians have in mind. Rather, it seems that their goals tend more toward whitewashing history, forgetting the troubled and traumatic past by burying everything under buzzwords like rehabilitation, and hoping that everything will be swept away by the sands of time.

In the meantime, they can use the larger-than-life figures of both Sukarno and Suharto to attract voters during the upcoming elections.

All this sounds like a continuation of past attitudes. All this sounds like contemporary Indonesia has only learned how to commit the same mistakes of the past rather than renounce them. It hardly sounds like reconciliation, remorse or restitution — but business as usual.

And this would indicate that the reconciliation some are proposing is nothing more than an attempt to legitimize what was unacceptable then and is unacceptable now.

Therefore, maybe it is better to rephrase the question. What kind of truth and reconciliation process does Indonesia need? 


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SirAnthonyKnown-Bender

4:22pm Apr 13, 2012

It's called "TRUTH and reconciliation". Without the former you don't get the latter, just the usual specious Javanese consensus that masks a sea of injustice. Indonesian figures with the honesty of a Desmond Tutu don't make it to the top table. I well remember about a decade ago some proposal to form an Indonesian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The generals said, "Well we can't have the word 'truth', just make it a reconciliation commission only." Farcical. It would be hilarious in fact if so much spilt blood hadn't been airbrushed out of official history. If there was justice in this country after 1998's failed "people power revolution" (which left 90% of the New Order regime in tact - the very fact that Golkar still exist shows the manifest failure of any meaningful "reformasi")then certain people would be in jail instead of standing for elections and invoking mass-murdering tyrants as national heroes. Use your vote wisely in 2014 Indonesians: golput, and organize yourselves.

jchay

4:40pm Apr 13, 2012

Yes, I agree without truth there won't be any reconciliation. However, how will we end up with the real truth, when nobody even respects the truth or whoever has the truth but instead hide behind pretty lies and denial mentality? Truth is not part of our identity, it is too cheap to fight for. So here we are again without truth, and therefore no reconciliation.

lightenup

10:05pm Apr 13, 2012

I agree with SirAnthony here. Reconciliation and pardoning someone cannot be fulfilled without presenting nothing but the truth about the person. Face it, but even some parts which the writer here wrote regarding Sukarno's and Suharto's so-called 'national sins' are contestable at best. Well, I know that no humans are perfect, but that doesn't mean that they don't deserve to be known based on truth only.

22roles

10:26pm Apr 13, 2012

Statistics. The ‘‘impartial’’ evidence — the convincer — that backs every discussion. The creative use of which can make any position defensible, every argument rational.

The method is simple.

Start with a premise or ideology. Find some stats that fit it. Ignore those that don’t. Twist their interpretation until they become convenient, if needs be. Don’t worry about context or perspective. Fling out the whole mess in the hope that the message sticks.

DrDez

6:10am Apr 14, 2012

yes 22 thats what you do all the time.. except often you leave out the statistics

PS - that's another theft of an article directly lifted without acknowledgment from The Canberra Times - YOU really must troll the world and there is only one kind of person who does that... Link to your latest theft

http://canberratimes.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/blogs/domain-investor-centre-blog/numberwang-or-lies-damned-lies-and-statistics-20120412-1wvfk.html

Yohanes-Sulaiman

3:01pm Apr 14, 2012

@lightenup: care to enlighten me which part(s) are contestable? I would love to know. I rely on several sources, notably a great work by Sebastiaan Pompe on the Indonesian Supreme Court (http://www.amazon.com/The-Indonesian-Supreme-Court-Institutional/dp/0877277389) and as usual, books by Kahin and Dan Lev that describes the collapse of Indonesian democracy in 1950s.

@all: Still, the point here is to encourage the debate, that to try to demystify these two undoubtedly great people of Indonesian history, trying to look at history objectively. It is true that truth is also in the eyes of beholders, but I do think that it is still possible to have a measured academic debate on these matters.

enakajah

3:43pm Apr 14, 2012

Many people here lived through a great deal of the Suharto days. I know I did and I have a very different view from a couple of posters here. Mine being a great deal more positive having been involved directly in a great many of the infrastructure projects that built what we have today.

I also have done some very in depth and detailed investigations on the financial side of both Sukarno and Suharto. It has taken nearly 15 years to get to a position where the confusion and much of the actual facts are coming together.

Undoubtedly both men were titans. Undoubtedly both men had vast failings. But look at the context. More than 350 years of colonial rule. A devastating war and occupation by the Japanese. A vast nation of agrarian virtual slaves to be rendered into a modern nation over night.

In the 60 odd years since then look around and see what has been done in such a short time.

No excuses or apologies for some of the atrocities, just another - "truth".

Good article - provocative

padt

4:40pm Apr 14, 2012

enakajah - as you say - the purpose of this article was to provoke thought - thinking - discussion - calm and lucid investigation and to raise questions that need to be answered because the questions are hanging in the air and are simply not going to go away.

That's the issue - the questions are not going away. Sooner or later they must be answered.

Glad you found the article helpful in this regard. It's an important and sensitive topic. That's why we raised it.

22roles

8:37pm Apr 14, 2012

For those anti indonesia whingers and lack of achievements , indonesia is doing ok, sky is nowhere near falling in.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that Indonesia has the best performing economy in the region.

No, I didn't.

But like I said, Indonesia has the best performing economy in the region or maybe in the world..statisticly i ain't pretender that claims know everything about economy,bordering a con,specially about singapore economy.Stasticly, the courts in singapore are there to maintain democracy not to undermine it but is it really the case? statisticly i can say it is the case in MALAYSIA the courts are there to UNDERMINE democracy.

enakajah

9:43pm Apr 14, 2012

I am not so sure that all the questions do need to be raised and/or answered. Acceptance of the fact that the nation has grown and is on a track paved by the positive achievements of these two men is perhaps enough.

Many will say the atrocities must be answered. More will say that vast amounts of money were plundered and is sifting through the families and cronies and must be returned.

Time heals all and in time this country's scars will heal and in the end it was the massive efforts of both these men that laid the foundation and that is never easy nor clean.

Imagine if the country had been passed over to lesser men at the end of the war. Imagine if the Country had been handed those we have had since '98 but in '48. The time required men of vision and cruel strength. Not the perverted sheep we have today. But then again I am probably completely wrong.... times and priorities have changed.

I have family that were personally associated with and very close to Sukarno. There are some astonishingly far reaching actions that he put in place that account for a number of spectacularly successful results that are still relevant today.

Also during the war the wealth of Europe was being plundered by the Nazi's. The decision was made collectively to move much of it to a Dutch colony that was deemed safe in S.E. Asia. So it was moved physically to Indonesia and into the Javasche Bank accounts in UBS Zurich. In 1965 when Sukarno stood up and declared Indonesia as a sovereign nation, with sovereign laws he also declared all assets held in the name of Indonesia and in its territories belonged to Indonesia. Vast wealth instantly nationalized.

There are many things that are behind the scenes that history does not record. And many it does that are apparent "Truth" but may not be. Victors always get to write the history.

blightyboy

9:14am Apr 15, 2012

enakajah - do also look at what many nations have achieved over the past 60 years. After the second World war many countries were in tatters, bankrupt and broken. Look around and compare. Indonesia cannot

PakLiam

10:11am Apr 15, 2012

Yes, 22, that paragraph is more like your usual writing, rather than the plagiarised piece that DrDez called you on.

padt

10:20am Apr 15, 2012

enakajah, your attitude of whitewashing the past because your family benefited from it is what will make the atrocities and theft of the past a present and future reality.

The greatness of a countrty and it's leaders is not marked only by its economic growth - especally an economic growth that does not flow on to the majority of its citizens but only a few.

The greateness of a country and its leaders is how they treat the most vulnerable. And in this, Indonesia is decidedly lacking.

I dont believe what you are saying. You are making excuses.

All the questions do need to be raised and do need to be answered.

Its people who share your mentality who are standing in the way of the real progress Indonesia needs - a development in human rights, clean government, accountable government and the accompanying change in mentality required to achieve that.

Your comments make for sad and disturbing reading. They indicate to me a mentality does not respect basic human dignity and equality.

enakajah

10:56am Apr 15, 2012

BB certainly the whole of Europe was in tatters and totally destroyed, as was Japan but how many of the nations had been colonized for 350 years before that and almost completely agrarian without industry?

Perhaps I was not being clear. I agree entirely that we cannot blame today on yesterday rather, despite yesterday the country has achieved an enormous amount. As have others in 60 years. This is why I am not sure that questions posed in this article need to be raised and/or answered.

Or perhaps you were responding to my first post as the second and third took some time to get posted due to the weekend.

In the end BB I agree . A lot has been achieved in 60 years in many countries and Indonesia is one of them and as I think I said clearly, I have a more positive view of the two men's achievements and do not not necessarily agree with the writers for exactly the reasons you have mentioned. Look forward not back.

enakajah

11:11am Apr 15, 2012

Perhaps off topic but relevant to my position, an idea may be to read the book called "the Conquest of Java". It is an account of what the British found when they arrived here to fight the French, who briefly took over when they colonized Holland.

It goes into excruciating detail of how the VOC ran the entire country as a production house with little or no interest in anything other than extracting the maximum profit for the leaste investment. Very little changed between that time to when the VOC returned and the second world war.

After the war the country had to recover from the devastation and at the same time try to catch up on the rest of the world in an industrial manner and deal with Independence after so long without any control or people educated or experienced in running a country.

Vastly different from others devastated by the war and the success to date is speaks for itself. That is not blaming the past but a credit to the successes despite it.

DrDez

1:24pm Apr 15, 2012

22... The best performing economy and yet 100 million in poverty... well done

22roles

2:27pm Apr 15, 2012

Explain to me how you calculate poverty ? Don't quote here n there, i want direct from your understanding.

DrDez

3:10pm Apr 15, 2012

100 m 22 - do your own research

22roles

3:43pm Apr 15, 2012

Didn't u understand when I said don't quote, I want ur understanding how u came up with that poverty numbers? Got that?

Comello

4:03pm Apr 15, 2012

@enakajah

In 1810, the VOC had been out of existence for more than 10 years due to its bankruptcy. So the VOC did not 'run' anything, did not 'return' to do so, and certainly had not run 'the whole country', as most of what is now Indonesia was still under indigenous rule - the '350 years..' Sukarno/Suharto meme is historical fiction and post-colonial propaganda necessary for nation-building.

Most colonies were run as cheap production house/consumer markets for home country products.

Ans as for 'almost completely agrarian without industry': which former colonies were thriving industries before independence?

I guess any invading nation can write disparaging books about their colonial competitors. What if British India, Caribbean sugar plantations, Autralia's East Coast or Zulu S-Africa were 'liberated' by the next European colonizer?

19th century colonialism and mercantilism before that were bad all around for the suppressed peoples, don't make Indonesia its 'special case' all the time.

Jubal.Harshaw

4:25pm Apr 15, 2012

@22 The number of poor in Indonesia is purely dependent on the government's chosen definition of poverty and includes the cash required to afford a diet of 2,100 calories a day, or 152,847 rupiah per month. No wonder the government can proudly boast that only 20% of people live in poverty.

A more widely used benchmark is 10,000 per day, which would put over 80 million Indonesians below the poverty line.

But of course, we all know that the real cost of living is even higher, and that puts Dr. Dez's estimate of 100 million a tad on the low side.

All this while elite thieves rob the country blind to feather their own nests, and if caught, get to keep their stolen millions.

Surely you can not continue to be so blind to the plight of your fellow countrymen, 22roles? Or maybe you can ...

DrDez

4:32pm Apr 15, 2012

$2 a day 22... I have posted a longer response but it seems to have gone astray

what do you understand by poverty???

madrotter

4:38pm Apr 15, 2012

The scum always rises to the top....

enakajah

4:52pm Apr 15, 2012

PADT, I did not say my family benefited in any way, I mentioned only that some of the actions Sukarno took in the early 50's and 60's have echoes still today.

Neither did I say the past should be whitewashed. I think you are trying to read into my position what is not there.

I merely do not necessarily agree that answering questions you pose are going to insure what I agree with you is necessary. Clean and transparent government, adherence to human rights and the dignity of the vulnerable.

I work in those specific fields and the most important manner in which to get all of those points instituted is progress and make changes in those institutions now and for the future.

Looking back and trying to get answers from people no longer involved does not necessarily install those absolutely necessary issues into a government system today.

Much of my professional career is spent working with civil society instituting your exact points. What do you do other than write or voice an opinion?

PADT, in order to institue the manner in which the country and it's leaders treat the vulnerable, one has to get inside and work on institutional strengthening and capacity building. These are areas I work in day to day. So rather than standing in the way I am actively working with a variety of donors and institutions to install those very changes you talk about.
To achieve anything the systems need to be altered forward looking. The past has happened. Now what is required is to change and in all the work I have done over the years, including involvement in truth and reconciliation councils, nothing systematic has been achieved by answering the questions you pose. The way to insure the protection of vulnerable, clean transparent government and all that you would hope for is to train, build capacity and work and make change happen.

I am sorry if you seem to think we have opposing views. I work to achieve exactly what you wish to see as well. Calling me a liar is not polite nor lucid.

padt

5:33pm Apr 15, 2012

enakajah - I apologise unreservedly for presuming your family personally benefited from the Sukarno regime. I misunderstood what you said, but that is no excuse.

I did not call you a liar.

I said I do not believe what you say. Just as one may say that to a person who holds certain beliefs or opinions that one disagrees with - I simply do not believe or hold them myself. That is not calling you a liar or accusing you of concealing the truth.

justapasserby

6:11pm Apr 15, 2012

Without sukarno we will be still a Dutch colony, albeit probably with some less negative sounding label, having potrait of Queen Wilhemina instead of SBY on the walls, and with most of the prestigious government and corporate position will stil be filled by white dutchmen.Without Suharto, we will still be a Communist country, probaby we will still have an aidit potrait on the wall today as an "External President".. and his son will be the current "Great Comrade".. cant we all be thankful for all of these and quit saying bad things about the dead?

enakajah

6:48pm Apr 15, 2012

Comello, Points taken. I slipped VOC in rather than putting the nationality in for the sake of being diplomatic. The agrarian side I was referring to BB's comment on the 60 years aspect. Prior to the War the nations that were destroyed were mainly European and industrialized before destruction. Indonesia was not. My point there is that the country has come a very long way and should be proud of it.

As to the British Colonies. You are absolutely correct. I agree but this still does not detract from the progress that this country has made in such a relatively short period of time. And since this article is about Indonesia why should I not make the case to emphasize the successes?

PADT apology accepted. I may also have over reacted to your saying you do not believe me. However had you worded it differently in the same posting perhaps I might not have gone off like a $2 rocket.

Comello, Regardless of the VOC being out of business, they did set up the systems and it is acknowledge that is was one of the most repressive. I suggest you buy the book. It is actually written by a reporter not an author published in sections over a period of time. It is really more of a reference book and the details are excruciating and immensely boring but it is clear insight into the situation that the country was left in at independence. But yes as I mentioned before Victors write the history and your points are well enough taken.

In the end I and I think all of us want the successes of this country viewed on a more positive light and dwell on those rather than always the negative. There are monumental problems of course but there have and are juts as monumental successes.

DrDez

7:06pm Apr 15, 2012

jpb - The excesses by both men should be recognized and criticized so we never fall again into the same trap, just ignoring them or making silly comments is I am afraid an Indonesian trademark.

I also dont recall RI being under communist rule BTW ..

22roles

7:42pm Apr 15, 2012

An ‘evidence base’ does not neccesarily lead to a scientific theory,it can lead to many conclusions.your logic fail for poverty, as my dog is white and my cat is white, therefore, my dog is my cat.

justapasserby

8:04pm Apr 15, 2012

we were about to be having our first communist majority parliament and communist government, had the PKI patiently wait for the next election and did not jump the gun with the 1965 coup. They were already the largest and the most organized political party at that time.

As for these recurring claims that Indonesia wasnt really colonized for 350 years, well that's just semantic argument by colonial supporters who would like to white wash their history. For example, the Sultanate of Yogyakarta was on paper an independent country right until 1945.. but in reality they had to ask for Dutch permission to increase the height of their palace wall!. Is this what you mean by independent native rulers? other example.. Ternate was "independent" as a protectorate of VOC.. but we all know what a protectorate imply. I find it quite weird that the Dutch are quick to condemn people who belittle their 4 years plight under germany but conveniently forget what they themself were doing in Indonesia.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

10:36am Apr 16, 2012

@JPB: No, there would not have been any next election, because that's what Sukarno and other Indonesian elites tried to avoid -- the victory of the PKI -- by having the Presidential Decree of 1959, which virtually suspended the democracy.

I don't have grudges against President Sukarno and Suharto -- in fact, I agree with most of Enakajah's points on Suharto's contributions. On Sukarno, I actually to some degree with your assertions of him playing a major role in Indonesian independence.

What I dislike is the fact that presently people tend to manipulate the history, whitewashing the errors of the past for present political gains without carefully study the errors of the past. History is not black and white, and to praise both Sukarno and Suharto uncritically will create this stupid cult of leaders not unlike North Korea or other Socialist/communist countries and that will bring down the country.

I agree, don't dwell too much on the past, but at the same time don't whitewash it.

Valkyrie

10:49am Apr 16, 2012

Gentlemen....

Thank you! I am enjoying the various intellectual and informative exchanges.

I remember well Shakespeare's Julius Caesar when Mark Antony made his speech at Caesar's funeral.

"Friends, Romans and countrymen ........

the evil that men do live after them, The good is interred with their bones."

I am especially referring to the two Ss.

padt

11:38am Apr 16, 2012

I put a question to commentators here.

It would be an understatement to say that Indonesians like to celebrate their superiority and victories whenever they have the chance. Just go to any football match and observe.

Question: Why don't Indonesians 'celebrate' the events of 1965/6 - the 'triumph' over the 'forces of evil' - why aren't these events - the deaths of opponents - whatever the number - heralded as epic events in a proud and open history? Why instead, when those events are mentioned, they are hushed up, avoided, the subject changed - and not talked about, let alone celebrated as a symbol of national pride - unless there is perhaps an element of shame, perhaps even guilt - certainly ambiguity - connected with them?

DrDez

11:52am Apr 16, 2012

padt - because when we cut all the crap it was a state sponsored genocide

22roles

2:00pm Apr 17, 2012

state sponsored genocide only to those can't see beyond the news or bordering a con

Paying Protesters to Rally Against Causes An Old Habit That Needs to Be Stopped

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Paying Protesters to Rally Against Causes An Old Habit That Needs to Be Stopped
Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull | March 27, 2012

'It is a damning admission that parties have very little sincere support among ordinary Indonesians.'

In the past few days, students and various mass organizations claiming to represent the people have hit the road and are protesting against the proposed fuel price increase. In some areas, the rallies turned anarchic, such as students looting a fuel pump in Makassar, a truck belonged to Coca-Cola and a truck carrying dozens of three-kilogram LPG containers.

Such anarchic actions seem to validate the government’s assertion to the public for the past several weeks that some parties would ride the wave of protest, trying to bring down the government. Thus, Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and defense affairs, declared that the military would be called upon to tackle any such behavior by protesters.

Many observers think the government is overreacting in threatening to bring in the military. Using the military against protesters is like using a sledgehammer to crush a nut, fostering the idea that the government is returning to authoritarian methods that would further undermine trust in the government and its commitment to democracy, which presupposes the right to lawful protest.

However, it is well known that a significant number of demonstrators are either paid by various interest groups opposed to the government or are simply opportunists trying to take advantage of the situation to push other agendas.

Neither author claims that all the student demonstrators have dubious motivations in hitting the streets. Some of them are truly idealistic, hoping that their peaceful rallies will change the government’s mind to rescind the increase in the price of fuel due to its perceived adverse effects on low-income citizens.

Yet money politics permeates all aspects of Indonesian political life and thus it is a preferred method of managing street protests. Prior to elections we have rent-a-rallies and after the elections we have rent-a-protest groups or mobs. Both commodities, bought and sold by political parties and behind-the-scenes factions intent on protecting their political and economic turf, indicate dramatically how removed from reality the government and these elite are.

It is a damning admission that the political parties have very little sincere, grassroots support or contact with ordinary Indonesians. When it needs their support it, has to purchase it.

How did this start? Many members of the political elite live in a world apart from the masses. Most political elites are the offspring of the members of the political elite of old; privileged cronies of past regimes who rose to the heights through the patronage system. Sadly, too many of them still think this is also the way to relate to the electorate.

At the same time, there are the strongmen with a lot of local influence among the less politically educated who can bring in the mob at a moment’s notice should the price be right.

This surly side of day-to-day politics has its precedent in Indonesian history, where, as a result of weak state control over the people due to the nation’s geography, many local toughs were able to act with impunity, intimidating voters at the behest of some of the parties. While these mobsters showed some token respect to the central government, their actions were condoned or ignored.

Indonesian politics is basically a marriage of these two interests: a political elite that does not have authentic grassroots support and the local toughs whose access to power, influence and protection is guaranteed by certain politicians and elite in so far as they promote the politicians’ interests through intimidation, the coercion of communities through offers of payouts and infiltrating genuine protest movements.

The money to pay for this rigged support is presumed to come from dubious sources, so in a sense it is the people themselves, in the long run, who pay out of their own pockets for the “bread and circuses” offered to them by the politicians.

The recent suggestion, denied by the palace, that the president bought off student leaders with the offer a free junket to China to silence their opposition to the coming fuel price increase, is an “Exhibit A” for this untoward influence of money in the political process.

While it is unimaginable that an administration could be so gauche or student leaders so unprincipled and easily swayed, the fact that such a preposterous suggestion got into the media is an indication that in the popular mind, anything is possible and any lengths can be taken in an attempt to safeguard political interests.

Peaceful protest and political rallies are a basic cornerstone of a healthy democratic system. At their essence, they express publicly that democracy is brought into being by the voice and will of the people, not cash payments. Sadly today it is still the case that a large number of voters are not politically sophisticated and can be bought off.

And as for purchasing a response to the projected cut in fuel levies, with the cult of popularity highly influential in the choice voters make at the polls, the parties are intent on projecting a popular image. Hence we are witnessing a cynical tug-of-war between indistinguishable self-interested groups over the distribution of the direct cash assistance (BLT) program.

The Democrats want it distributed through post offices so they can give the impression to the beneficiaries that it is from the Democratic Party while Golkar wants it done through provincial administrative agencies, which are largely controlled by Golkar members, so that it will be seen as largess from the Golkar Party.

The fact that these are state funds and belong to the people and the country and not to any particular party seems a nicety that both these contenders for the 2014 Jakarta gubernatorial election seem happy to overlook in their efforts to pull a swift one over the people.

Whatever the demerits of a cut in fuel subsidies, it has to be acknowledged that there is some sound economic rationale behind this unpopular political decision. Indonesia cannot continue to subsidize various goods to the detriment of spending in other areas. For example, the money for subsidies is, according to a World Bank report, already greater than the money spent on education in a country with a questionable standard of education.

In the meantime, what we are witnessing is clear evidence that while Indonesia continues to make often painfully slow progress towards open and transparent democratic governance, old habits die hard. And because there is scant evidence that the politicians themselves seem willing, interested or capable of making the necessary shift away from buying votes and support, it is up to ordinary residents to make that change.

To resist the lure of a handout for cheap promises is costly. To resist the lure of payment to protest an issue to which you have no real commitment or interest is selling yourself short and giving too much power to politicians and their strongmen. Indonesian politicians have better things to do with the money to hand than buying short term, illusory voter support. The money would be better spent on long-term infrastructure development and social support programs, not “bread and circuses.”



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exbrit

2:11pm Mar 27, 2012

Should get rid of the paid FPI thugs also

jchay

9:30pm Mar 27, 2012

For these same reasons, One day people will simply stop paying their hard-earned taxes.. Useless efforts.

Roland

11:35pm Mar 27, 2012

Yohanes & Phillip, gentlemen - as usual (nothing less to expect though) a well formulated and researched article. Always a pleasure to read and recommend to others.

padt

7:52am Mar 28, 2012

Roland - that you for the support. The tragedy of the situation is that it changes nothing. The 'revolution' Indonesia is yet to have is the throwing off of mentalities that keep people in bondage - for the sake of temporary and pitiful handouts.

The political rally - or the protest rally I would like to see - is the one where people silently turn up - and when the politicians get up to speak - the crowds literally turn around and show their backs to them.

It would shake these politicans to the core.

In Death Call, Anas Doth Protest Too Much

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In Death Call, Anas Doth Protest Too Much
Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull | March 15, 2012

Anas Urbaningrum’s statement on Twitter expressing his willingness to be executed by firing squad if it is proved he took even a single rupiah connected to a scandal related to the Southeast Asian Games and Hambalang stadium graft cases is to be welcomed. Finally someone in the government has expressed the view that corruption is a crime of such a serious nature that it ranks alongside terrorism, drug trafficking and murder as a means of undermining social cohesion and the dignity of the nation, all of which invite the death penalty under the law.

Given the ridiculously low prison sentences handed out to corrupters, mitigated further by remissions and perks, the public has long felt these sentences hardly fit the crime. Nor do they serve as deterrents.

Furthermore, the judges who hand them down could reasonably be seen as either frightened of those found guilty and fearful of what they might do in retribution once released or suspected to be complicit in deals favorable towards the accused.

Anas has dramatically drawn a line in the sand in the investigation of corruption and the punishment given. Although he stands by his repeated claims of innocence, he now says should it be found otherwise (namely that he has perjured himself, lied to the public or stolen from the public purse), he requests that he be executed.

Anas is known to be a man who publicly states elevated principles calling for reform and integrity in politics. He belongs to the Democratic Party, which came to power on the promise of fighting and eradicating corruption. In a speech given on May 16, 2010, when he was deputy chairman of political and regional affairs for the Democratic Party, Anas said: “Money politics is the main challenge to democratic culture and erodes organizational culture. Even money politics will mislead us to a negative pragmatism in its starkest form. Negating meritocracy, money politics will put an end to the spirit of high achievement.”

Quoting President Yudhoyono approvingly, Anas said that “money politics constituted a serious challenge to democracy as it would affect the attitude and behavior of a leader at the expense of public interests. Money politics produces artificial democracy while betraying public trust and democratic conscience.”

Having stressed his opposition to money politics, he then went on to promote his agenda of putting meritocracy as the main pillar of democracy, arguing that meritocracy is critical in building the culture of democracy as it would produce competent leaders who are forged by experience, rooted in the society, and accepted by the public.

For Anas, “meritocracy” means that a person achieves a political position based on merit: ability, intelligence and expertise rather than on what he identified as the “strong spirit of sub-nationalism,” which not only included “narrow regionalism, religious fanaticism, or a strong identity of a group of interests, but rather it is the tendency to give prominence to the identity and interests of smaller entities at the expense of the nation’s identity and interests.”

Anas stated that the presence of self-interest in politics provides only disincentives for aspiring politicians to manifest their capabilities or merit, “when appreciation in an organization is given to non-meritocratic aspects like money and ascribed status.”

A few days later, in the second congress of the Democratic Party in Bandung in May 2010, Anas won the chairmanship during a bitterly contested two-ballot election in which he beat his rivals Andi Mallarangeng and Marzuki Alie. Having beaten Andi, whom many had suspected of receiving the blessing of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in the first ballot, Anas announced, prior to the second ballot, that if elected he would appoint Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono as his deputy. He won the second round, announcing that he won through a democratic election, presumably based on his merits.

Since that speech and conference, the Democratic Party’s former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, has testified in court that Anas profited from the construction of Southeast Asian Games structures in Palembang and Hambalang and that Anas used this money to secure votes from party members at the election in Bandung. If this proves to be the case, and Anas strenuously denies the accusations, it would put his pre-election speech about meritocracy in the shade.

Now he will soon be summoned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and be given the opportunity, before law, to clarify and resolve the issue. He has already indicated his intention to take the matter seriously, even to the point of giving up his life if there is any truth in the allegations.

Yet, there is a hitch, notably the problems with legal precedents. Indonesian law does not extend the death sentence to the heinous crime of corruption, and the government often does a horrible job in ensuring that the rules are grounded with strong legal basis.

For instance, last November, facing public uproar on the lenient sentences given to convicted corrupters, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights declared a moratorium on giving remissions (in the form of sentence reductions) to the corruptors.

Last week, however, having been challenged by three convicted corrupters and after intervention by former Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the moratorium was declared in breach of the law on community rehabilitation. Apparently, having unveiled the moratorium with gongs and whistles, nobody made sure it had a legal basis.

Indonesian politics is grounded in a culture of grand statements, assurances and promises that are often conveniently ignored when it’s time to deliver on them.

No rational person would take Anas’s vow seriously. Nor in a civilized society would anyone wish to see the death penalty imposed on anyone for any crime, for that matter. Surely any rational person would understand his melodramatic language as hyperbole, as Anas’s claim to complete innocence.

Nevertheless, Anas has miscalculated in his appeal for public support. The use of intemperate language is something he now has the embarrassment of explaining, one way or the other.

Perhaps Anas, the man of merit, should take a leaf out of Napoleon’s book. “If you wish to be successful in this world, promise everything, deliver nothing,” the French leader said.

Napoleon also said: “The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.”

The emperor, who overstepped himself, had his merits too. Let’s hope Anas maintains his in the eyes of the public and fares better.

Angelina Makes a Mockery of Justice While President and Party Look On

Four months later, in July 2012, the President again stressing that blah..blah...blah.... You know the drill.
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Angelina Makes a Mockery of Justice While President and Party Look On
Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull | March 07, 2012

Last week, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tried to reiterate his supposed commitment to fighting corruption when he signed off on new punishments for graft convicts. The so-called impoverishment program would impose substantial fines upon offenders, aiming to ensure that they and their families can’t enjoy even a single rupiah of any ill-gotten wealth.

It sounds all well and good, but at this point the president’s move seems more like a last-ditch, cosmetic effort to prevent his own popularity, and that of his beleaguered Democratic Party, from tanking further.

If the public had any doubts about widespread corruption among the Democrats and the party’s general lack of commitment to cleaning up the nation’s politics, following due process and helping the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) do its job, those doubts must have evaporated with graft suspect Angelina Sondakh’s recent appearance at the House of Representatives.

Despite previous assurances by the Democratic Party politician and her superiors that she would stand aside while investigations were under way, Angelina has done anything but. Most disturbingly, she had the gall to sit in on a legislative session.

In a speech on Feb. 5, after Angelina was named a suspect, Yudhoyono said all party members who had been named suspects by the KPK must step down.

The next day, party official Didi Irawadi Syamsudin promised that the Democrats would “soon” issue the decree suspending Angelina, saying, “While the investigation is under way, we will suspend her from all posts. It’s just a matter of administrative process before we do so officially.”

Angelina did lose her position as deputy secretary general of the party. Yet on Feb. 14, she remained seated in the legislature. Adding insult to injury, she was moved from her position on House Commission X on youth and sports affairs to Commission III on legal affairs.

Such a thoughtless move, presented to the public as nothing more than a regular rotation, was not surprisingly met with an uproar. KPK head Abraham Samad said he would not attend any Commission III meetings if Angelina was present.

Yudhoyono predictably blew his top and berated party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and House faction leader Jafar Hafsah for such a politically incompetent act.

The party later backtracked, with Saan Mustopa, the secretary of the Democrats in the House, claiming the transfer was only “planned” even though in several interviews Jafar had used the word “already.” Angelina ended up on Commission VIII, which deals with religious affairs.

Of course, as usual, there was no discussion at all on either the president’s order that KPK suspects resign or Didi’s promise that Angelina would soon be suspended from all her posts.

No doubt we will be told the paperwork hasn’t been processed, that it’s only the labyrinths of committees and bureaucratic processes and signatures to be got that is holding this up. Hence Angelina’s right to attend legislative sessions at the House, even as she is questioned in court for graft.

Even Angelina seems to think things have returned to normal. Although she should step down immediately and await the court’s pleasure, she called a press conference to ask reporters to respect her silence on the matters before the court.

She has already been advised both judicially and publicly to tell the truth and to understand the seriousness of perjury. She has also given her word that she would accept a suspension. Instead, she not only turned up at the House for business as usual but she also asked the press to get off her back.

Angelina may have gained a temporary immunity from justice, bestowed upon her by those who have not processed her suspension papers or were impressed by her performance in front of the camera. But the steady hands of time are ticking away, and like her namesake in Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic comic opera “Trial by Jury,” Angelina definitely and unmistakably will soon hear those fateful words breaking the silence she craves: “Angelina, come thou into court.”

There, the former maxim of the law, “qui tacet consentire videtur” (“he who keeps silent is taken to consent”) — or, in other words, those who keep silent cannot be found guilty — no longer applies.

Yet Angelina does not appear to understand the gravity of her situation. And she is not alone in this.

Recently, House Speaker Marzuki Alie went on the record as saying, “I think there is something wrong with the way we work.”

We presume the irony of his statement was lost on him. But it’s not lost on the public, which is fed up with the stonewalling and obfuscation of politicians and their faceless advisers who treat the citizens of Indonesia with patronizing condescension. It simply won’t do. The electorate is becoming more and more politically astute, informed and outraged.

The way things were done in the past had one intention only — leaving people with a sense of soothed feelings and a curious sense of being unable to recall exactly what explanation was given. To politicians wedded to the past and its mentalities — whatever their age — that attitude will prove their ruin, especially when the public no longer trusts the “bapaks” after so many public relations blunders, lies and court sentences.

Angelina can expect to be given every benefit of law and justice; this is her right. In the meantime, however, she must do everything in her power to cooperate transparently with the processes in motion and in a spirit of justice rather than playing fast and loose with the letter of the law, which has somehow allowed her to sit in the House at the same time she is under serious investigation for robbing the constituents it is her job and duty to serve.

Angelina should stand aside and the president and his party should ensure that she does. If not, the developing sense of contempt for the ruling Democratic Party will only become more entrenched.

For the integrity of the country’s political system, not to mention the survival of whatever credibility it still holds, the Democratic Party must see to it that corruption does not go unpunished.

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Comello

1:25pm Mar 7, 2012

'...qui tacet consentire videtur — or, in other words, those who keep silent cannot be found guilty...'

I guess you meant the opposite: by keeping silent, the presumption is that the charges against her are correct, ergo she is guilty.

Or: nolo contendere...


serenityjam

2:02pm Mar 7, 2012

Perhaps, our legislators need to be reminded about courtesy to the office of the president and as titular head of the dominant political party. Angelina Sondakh could have been prevented from embarrassing the president and the Democratic Party if she was told earlier before her "unwanted presence".

What were the party officers thinking? Angelina, on her own to preserve whatever decency is still left with her, could have gained some sympathy regardless of the accusations against her if she simply disappears for a while like taking an official leave of absence. That is the polite thing to do in this situation. Oh, well, does she know this? I don't think so.

exbrit

2:18pm Mar 7, 2012

Why doesn't the KPK just arrest her as they promised to do and and end this farce? They are claiming paperwork delays also

devine

2:31pm Mar 7, 2012

In my opinion she acts like a small child; all the others did it too so I can do it too... why they only go after me when everybody does the same...

The worst thing is, that they never ever even get slightly embarresed...

padt

3:10pm Mar 7, 2012

Comello - in effect what you are saying is true because we played with the phrase. Angelina asked the reporters to allow her to keep silent - but eventually she will not be able to remain silent as she will be required to speak up in court.

There - the old maxim of the law is no longer, in this day and age - permitted as a defence.

It was famously - and correctly used of course - in the infamous trial of Sir Thomas More. More took great care not to speak against the King's claims. He insisted that if he said nothing he could not be found guilty. At his trail, saying nothing could not legally be interprested as opposition to the Kings unlawful claims which contradicted both Magna Carta and his coronation oath: on the contrary, More's silence could only be interprested as indicating consent to those claims.

But of course, he was not being tried for that reason. The move against him was vindictively personal and to scare anyone else who dared act with any integrity.

DrDez

3:53pm Mar 7, 2012

exB - baffles me also

devine

11:30pm Mar 7, 2012

Noted that NONE of them "up there" (DPR) immediately gets arrested? Another privilige! As a matter in fact they should be the FIRST to be arrested!

DrDez; maybe she wore halfe a mini skirk and made everybody confused?

Asoegenie

7:59am Mar 8, 2012

Angelina's "immunity" is due to the fact that she has the highest, most powerful Connections in this country. I believe she was paid an enormous amount of money just to keep silent.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

6:06pm Mar 8, 2012

@all: Thank you for your comments. On exbrit and devine's comments, all I can do in reply is to quote George Orwell's Animal Farm, in which he wrote "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

That, sadly, is the condition of our country at this point, where justice is swift for someone who supposedly steal a pair of sandals, but it grinds ever so slowly for someone who steals billions of rupiahs.

Valkyrie

6:42pm Mar 8, 2012

I continue to feel that Angie is not the primary target. KPK wants the bogeyman.

KPK has a prima facie case of corruption to place Angie in the slam. There has to be a good reason for not doing so.

devine

7:22pm Mar 8, 2012

Val; why cant they go after the bogeyman if the lock away Angelina? I just dont like this special treatment for some and no compromise for others... that is just not how it should work. I think it is not good for the reputation of KPK either...

padt

8:01pm Mar 8, 2012

I am having a gin and tonic and listening to Victoria de Los Angeles singing 'Un Bel Di Vedremo" (One Fine Day) from Madame Butterfly by the maestro Puccini.

I never understood this aria until it dawned on me that, after repeated listening, the words of the aria (positive) went in opposite direction the the music(negative).

Butterfly sings the lyrics that her husband loves her and will return - the music says he does not love you and he will not return.

Indonesian politics.

This music is played out every day in Indonesia.

My pembanto loves Puccini. And Beethoven. And Mozart.

"Why dont we have this music in our culture?" she asks. You have Malls and glamourous people and politicians, I tell her.

She loves Mozart's Requieum and Verdi's Requiem. "Can I have the CD played at my funeral, she asks?"

No. We come from different worlds.But I will play them in our house.

She seems to have some idea that what you do in this world affects what happens after. I tell her - its about love.

padt

8:05pm Mar 8, 2012

Yohanes sums it up. I would say it differently. Its all about the bull that is in the room that no one will mention and that a fish rots from its head down.

facepalm

8:32pm Mar 8, 2012

@padt: you sound like a genuinely lovely person. Enjoy that G&T.

andriparjoko

9:24pm Mar 8, 2012

I thought it' s a nice show. How can I subscribe for this drama? please anyone tells me and also how much it takes cost.

I would to know that.

Only A burn Child dread the fire. and all at nerve They're wo**e more than kids.

President Prabowo Looks Pretty Good To Voters Tired of Corrupt Political Elite

To be honest, this is one article where the discussion spiralled weirdly. I read them, wanted to comment, but refrained. Most of the commenters, I think were essentially one person taking various nicknames from Marvel's X-men?

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President Prabowo Looks Pretty Good To Voters Tired of Corrupt Political Elite
Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull | February 28, 2012

'Yudhoyono’s government seems to be running around from one scandal to another.'

On Saturday, the violence-wracked Mesuji district in Lampung again grabbed the headlines as a riot took place, with hundreds of villagers burning down buildings belonging to Barat Selatan Makmur Investindo, a Malaysian palm oil company.

A day before, in Jakarta, disgraced tax official Dhana Wiyatmika earned the dubious honor of being called the “new Gayus,” for allegedly having more than Rp 100 billion rupiah ($11 million) squirreled away in various bank accounts.

These disturbing developments form the backdrop for continuing revelations about politicians under investigation for fraud on a monumental scale and show that almost 14 years after the fall of Suharto, not much has changed in Indonesian politics. It is in this light that we should view the apparent rise of Prabowo Subianto on the political scene.

With the public asking serious questions about the country’s future, the so-called reformist government remains in paralysis. The Economist wrote last week that “barely half-way through his second term,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono “already looks like a lame duck.” More than 50 percent of his orders go unheeded, the magazine said.

Then, in a press release that shocked many, the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) announced that Prabowo, a former general who has been accused of serious human rights abuses, came in a strong second in a survey of the electability of potential presidential candidates. He beat out the likes of former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie and Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister of the economy and the National Mandate Party (PAN) head.

While Prabowo still finished behind former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), many analysts believe that Megawati’s support base has reached its limits, with few people impressed with her record as president.

But Prabowo’s hasn’t.

Not surprisingly, a human rights group immediately blasted the survey as flawed because it didn’t consider the records of the potential candidates. Yet, the results might not be that far off, and indicate that the Indonesian political mentality is still wedded to the past. Politicians, rather than behaving as servants of the people doing their best to provide solutions to the nation’s problems, behave like petty autocrats, whose whims and demands need to be satisfied.

In Indonesia today, the country has lots of small autocrats doing whatever they like with impunity. Suharto back during his rule got away with his strong fist and strong economic growth. Carrot and stick, many loved it. He provided order and prosperity, and a certainty that “bapak” knew what was best for the country. Sure, there was a lot of corruption and utter disregard for human rights, but many felt that was a fair price for good economic policy.

The blame for the rising acceptance of the new authoritarianism can be placed squarely on successive governments that monumentally failed to grasp that politicians are public servants and responsible to the people they govern.

As with any authoritarian ruler, most Indonesian politicians appear fiercely resistant to being questioned, having their performance examined, their results evaluated and their bank accounts scrutinized. And as often as not, when they are asked to explain themselves, they are suspected of lying. Two politicians were pointedly reminded in court last week that they were under oath and required to tell the truth and warned of the seriously consequences of perjury. A public campaign briefly urged them likewise. Clearly there is a perception out there that some politicians are ethically immature and devoid of integrity.

Politicians could avoid this by being transparent, showing to the public that they have nothing to hide. And yet, since the fall of Suharto, Indonesian politicians have been unable to decide whether politics is an exercise in public and open governance or a matter of private and hidden commercial business transactions.

‘The day-by-day revelations of tainted government would indicate the dominant mentality veers toward the latter view. Nothing is sacred. Even hajj funds entrusted by the devout to the Ministry of Religious Affairs are suspected of being misappropriated. With everything being swept under the rug, hidden from the plain view, abuses and corruption grow unchecked.

We can all imagine politicians sitting around in a coffee shop in the foyer of the House of Representatives, plotting deals and corruption. Some politicians apparently think the country is best governed when they behave as if there are no people in the country — only themselves and the treasury.

There is a sense that the ruling political elite does not have a clue how to govern, as Yudhoyono’s government seems to be running from one scandal to another. Seeing little leadership at top and being fed a daily diet of scandals, people feel our politicians are taking their wages unfairly. They reap where they do not sow. As a result, even though the economy is growing, disappointment in the government keeps increasing.

Thus, in these times of crisis people look for stability. That may well explain the increasing wave of nostalgia, as people recall the “good” old days when life was so simple and at the same time prosperous. Even if it wasn’t. This, in turn, leads to the rise of Prabowo. Regardless of his human rights record, at least to some it seems that finally here is someone with the guts and charisma to get things done.

The big question is: if elected, what will he get done and how will he do it? In reality, there are no indications that any of the current potential candidates are capable of offering anything new.

What they all have in common is the collective mind-set that says government is best done on the basis of a network of relationships of elected and non-elected elites and their cronies. Only this results in deals getting done, money being made and power being consolidated and handed on in a dynastic fashion, with the public placated or too intimidated to complain.

To be sure, this is a variation of authoritarianism. They may have different names, but the tactics indicate that Indonesia is politically dominated by a one-party system of government — because all parties seem to be doing things the same way.

This is ultimately unworkable. Until someone steps up and has the courage, wisdom and will to break with the authoritarian past, Indonesia will continue to evolve as a booming economy that does not provide economic and social benefits to the nation but only to a few. It will be a limping democracy, hamstrung by material success that is not accompanied by political reform.

That would leave the country ripe for the continuous picking and plundering of the various mobs that keep it in line, both within the House and on the streets.

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Trueblue

12:42pm Feb 28, 2012

@Sulaiman/Turnbull

Gents you quote from The Economist that with respect to the President "More than 50 per cent of his orders go unheeded". As The Economist is one of the worlds most respected newspapers, one must accept that statement as fact. Would it be too onerous to list the "major" orders that have been ignored as I find this a disturbing statistic for a democratically elected President. I fully understand that 1000 words may be a limitation, but if the list gets too long, I'm sure you can work a deal with our friend WebEd! Of course if President SBY has the problem of hitting the proverbial "brick wall" half the time trying to get things done, the next next President will need the K.O. strength of Muhammad Ali. And some Kung Fu!

Scorpio

7:28pm Feb 28, 2012

Sulaiman & Turnbull:

Well written! One can only fear that the future of Indonesia and its non-elite looks very bleak indeed. I hope that articles such as this helps make a REAL difference.

Think it is time that the social classes so bizarrely taken advantage of rise up and vote for someone who can change this country's catastrophic course and thus not support its current deeply flawed and utterly undeserving leaders.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

10:01pm Feb 28, 2012

@trueblue: Actually it was admitted by President SBY himself that less than 50% of his orders were obeyed. UKP4 (Presidential Working Unit on Supervision and Control of the Development) noted that from his 77 directions and written commands, less than 50% were obeyed, due to a variety of excuses etc. So what are the orders? Sadly we can't find much information on that.

TheSplodge

11:13pm Feb 28, 2012

Wow! This should be good. There may well be a sealed warrant for his arrest issued by the ICC for his alleged involvement in war crimes in East Timor and orders he allegedly gave during the riots of 1998. This would mean that Indonesia may have a president who is not able to leave the country. Still, that should save some money.

enakajah

8:08am Feb 29, 2012

A rather hastily written piece gents, and well below you usual standard. I was hoping for something slightly above and beyond the usual Soeharto era was good and bad, the political elite are out of control and until we get a decent politician we can vote for.....

You did however hit the nail on the head, but then walked away. "In Indonesia today, the country has lots of small autocrats doing whatever they like with impunity".

Indonesia has always had these. The Dutch used them to their advantage in the most deplorable way. The Japanese enhanced them and since independence it has become how the country is run. Just as it was when the Dutch took over. Feuding and autocratic localized kingdoms run by governors and majors district heads and village elders. As one poster continuously reminds us a feudal system.

There is a host of literature that outlines that this is the manner in which Indonesia has governed itself from time immemorial.

Perhaps the most indicative book on this is the series of articles published in Britain when the British arrived in Java and briefly took over. Incidentally they were fighting the French not the Dutch. The French briefly held Indonesia when Napoleon over ran Holland.

What the British found and detailed was an appalling system of divide and rule. Systematic use of petty kingdoms at the kabupaten level being played off one against the other but always encouraged to have their own kingdoms. This cultural ruling class has never been changed. Now we are back to pre-VOC days with the dynastic rulers back in play but trading one colonial type master for another.

Until a truly democratic system of voter representation is developed where parties do not dictate who runs where, and when a politician looses his seat he is replaced not by the party but by a By-election by the people, we shall continue to be ruled by the virtual kingdoms and dynasties that makes Indonesia “Indonesia”.

This goes back more than a thousand years. The basic structure and cultural format has not changed and in fact has been encouraged and refined to the state of play we have today. To change this takes, as I mentioned before, generations. It took post-Cromwell Britain hundreds of years. It took France more than 80 years for the revolution to take seat. The Chinese are still battling with it more than a hundred years after the first uprisings in the early 1900. The change has to come from within, it needs to be a complete overhaul of the system and it will take many generations.

In the mean time, we have band aid solutions, incompetence and a variation of the same old thing over and over to retain power with the elite and abuse of the populace.

It would be nice to hear from Mr. Turnbull under his own name commenting on articles he co-authors. A few of us may know his pseudonym but surely using his own name here would be more credit worthy.

padt

9:06am Feb 29, 2012

enakajah - I dont use my own name when I comment here because I am too bloody lazy to change it on my profile. The laziness is credit-unworthy - but not the intention. I have no wish to be anonymous. My few friends are always wishing me to sit down and shut up. I am a disappointment to them. As this article obviously is to you.

As well, I usually don't comment because I have nothing much else to say.

Yes this article does sing the same note to a degree - but that's because the news in Indonesia doesn't give one much more scope.

Your detailed background is of interest to be sure - but a history lesson is not what the .000001% of the Indonesian public who read this stuff want to hear.

I thank you for your comments and concern which have greatly enhanced the discussion for the few who read this stuff. Signed,

Phillip Antony Dominic Mary Martin de Porres Augustine Turnbull.

Nephew of Aunty Mavis.

JohanusBau

9:32am Feb 29, 2012

Just search the for the 'Inpres', 'Kepres' and 'Perpres' issued by SBY (on his website), and then scour the RI ministry websites for reports on whether they have carried out the work or not.They usually issue their own decrees instructions mentioning that they are carrying out duties in accordance with SBY's ones.

Hope you have your dictionaries ready.. Ha ha

JohanusBau

9:44am Feb 29, 2012

Most people I talk to already know the historical similarities with other countries and Indonesia's own past but they just want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They are starting to convince themselves that things are now worse under SBY than under Suharto. Change has to come from the top with a leader enjoying majority control of the DPR. I don't see this happening for a long time. A former govt minister claimed that Indonesian could only be saved by another coup to 'turn the boat around'. However I asked him to name me a potential skipper 'with a strong moral compass' who could take control of the ship and steer it into the sunset. I am still waiting for that name. I would be very surprised if Prabowo or the current crop of elites could do that.

trueblue

9:56am Feb 29, 2012

padt

I sympathise with you. With a name like that, you school days would have been the life of a traumatised bully, you poor darling boy. And dear old Aunty Mavis, I shudder to to think of what she went through at your christening when the priest announced your name! Good fellow, don't let this enak person spoil your day, be proud of your name, and use whatever initials you feel comfortable with. Is Aunty Mavis still with us? I hope for your sake the lovely old soul is still able to sit you on her knee and cuddle you. God bless.

Yohanes-Sulaiman

10:43am Feb 29, 2012

@Enakajah: You raised many good points, though I think you are expecting too much from this article. First, the main focus of this article is trying to explain the reason why Prabowo's ascendancy on the polls, which should raised a lot of eyebrows considering that in the previous two elections, he did not perform that well. In the 2004 Election, he lost in Golkar's internal election, handily beaten by Wiranto and in 2009, both him and Megawati only garnered 27% of the votes and even after literally spending billion of rupiahs out of his own pocket, he only received 4.46%. LSI even noted that in their 2009 survey that Prabowo only received a measly 5.6%, compared to Megawati's 21.9%.

While we may sound repetitious here, I think we identified the core problem, that people were fed up with the current elite and would risk the emergence of a new authoritarianism as a "reset button." Thus, the very need to fix the system.

I always like your posts (and your historical tidbits, since I do love history), still, this article is not about historical discourse of what causing the authoritarian mentality. I would write a book on that -- in fact so many people are telling me to start writing, but I am too much of a lazy bastard to do that.

@JohanusBau: trust me, I tried, and contacting them, to no avail. Basically they just tell us that more than 50% of orders unheeded, but when I asked them, they said "those orders...."

trueblue

10:44am Feb 29, 2012

@JohanusBau

I' busy turning page by page The Macquarie Dictionary. I've got as far as 'depress', which means:

1. to lower in spirits

2. to lower in force, vigour etc.,

3. to lower in amount or value

4. to put into a lower position

Should I continue searching, or can I take a pick of one of these options?

enakajah

12:02pm Feb 29, 2012

Padt, I of course knew you were responding under your pseudonym but thought it might be rude to say so openly. It seemed a tad unbalanced with Yohannes answering a number of comments and hearing nothing from Mr. Turnbull the co-author. It sort of undermines the credit due for your effort. Not intended to ruin his day TB quite the opposite. Credit where credit is due. But now it's out there is no problem.

Disappointed, sorry but yes. The pair of you write very well and this one seemed rushed. Mind you the topic does not last long so I can see your point.

Yohannes, it might have been better to emphasize those issues.

My point being as I have expressed ad nauseam it is going to take a lot longer than people may like. Understanding the roots of the current system may assist in finding the fellow that might just "turn the boat around".

I think we all knew what the core problem is Yohannes. What we need is a way to change it. Understanding the past could help.

I whole heartedly agree with both of you. I also understood the article clearly and its direction. However to me as I said you hit the nail on the head with autonomous rulers and then walked away from it. This more than anything else (to me) displays the elitist arrogance we all have had enough of. Unless we understand the root of that elitist arrogance and how deeply ingrained it is in Indonesia, how can we hope for change.

It is frightening that Probaowo most likely will do very well in the election as might Tommy for goodness sake! This is just more of the same. The elite rule and as Padt says the feudal system is still here. I think it will take more than the Rights groups and LSI to change the attitude of a nation don't you? Hence my reference to how difficult it was in the UK ( reference Padt's and Cromwell) China and France.

Something very wicked is definitely on the way .... so what else is new?

JohanusBau

1:03pm Feb 29, 2012

Most people I talk to already know the historical similarities with other countries and Indonesia's own past but they just want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They are starting to convince themselves that things are now worse under SBY than under Suharto. Change has to come from the top with a leader enjoying majority control of the DPR. I don't see this happening for a long time. A former govt minister claimed that Indonesian could only be saved by another coup to 'turn the boat around'. However I asked him to name me a potential skipper 'with a strong moral compass' who could take control of the ship and steer it into the sunset. I am still waiting for that name. I would be very surprised if Prabowo or the current crop of elites could do that.

dashSPH

3:05pm Feb 29, 2012

Even though your article is rather colored, I couldn't agree more with what you have to say. It is about time for Indonesia to have a strongman at the helm. Enough with this mediocrity.

The masses are ecstatic about Indonesia's 6.5% GDP growth rate last year. We are apparently the fastest growing economy in South East Asia and strongest emerging market in Asia, and we attained that title with a mediocre government at the helm.

What I'm trying to argue here is that the potential for Indonesia's growth is colossal. Especially when there are so many resources untapped in the Archipelago. Take oil as a common example.

Until this day, most of the refined oil for consumption must be imported because we cannot refine enough of our own crude, which is a large chunk of the government budget especially when fuel is subsidized heavily. Oil refineries in Indonesia is almost non-existent due to lack of funding and innovation.

padt

3:56pm Feb 29, 2012

The change that everyone wants and is looking for is a tough call. The change that is required in Indonesia is a change in Indonesia's DNA - in its psyche - in the way it thinks.

The psychology of corruption is so entrenched it wont be shifted for decades, if at all.

While Indonesians treat every encounter primarily from a position of win/loose (someone must come out of this encounter/situation/business deal/political move/social call/visit to the bank or brothel) with having been respected), corruption/bribery and demands for money they are not entitled to will always come into play.

Basically all this corruption and stuff is a side product/result for a deformed way of thinking about what it means to be a human being.

Sure - political reforms and judicial reforms and education and proper wages and heavt prison sentences and rule of law will assist.

But utlimately nothing is going to change until Indonesians change the way they think.

That's the revolution that's needed.

GreenLanternTrololols

4:32pm Feb 29, 2012

A well-written piece indeed and I do agree with both of you for the most part. I completely agree with the fact that Indonesia needs a strong leader, especially amidst all of these chaotic episodes. SBY had so far been eminently mediocre. Yes, he may have reduced the number of corruption, but many would still dub him as being pedestrian. He came off as soft and spineless as he failed to exert his leadership skill where required, like during the Bapindo mud catastrophe

Now the question is what are the criteria for a strong leader. A strong leader could either help Indonesia come out victorious from all of these calamities or it would deepen Indonesia’s lost in the battlefield against corruption and disorder. Theoretically speaking, a strong leader would ensure the first, but in practice, one could not know what would be the outcome. Yet, one should keep in mind the need to take risk – smart risk, which has the potential to work. Indonesian government needs a wake up call, literally.

Rather than sleeping throughout their assemblies, Indonesian government should have discussed more pressing issues to improve and drive Indonesia even further in the global stage. Of course, such would only be achieved under the supervision of a strong leader, who is not afraid to exert his/her force on them, not just some cowardly and weak leader.

However, by now, Indonesians should realize that we are living in a capitalist country and corruption is inevitable, especially amongst our politicians. The idea of corruption had unfortunately been engraved on every politician’s heart. Unless, we want to live in a communist nation (and the answer had been pretty clear, judging from what happened during the Sukarno era), then one should not expect social and economical benefits to be distributed equally throughout the nation. The question now is, how are we able to provide economic and social benefits to the whole nation under such circumstances.

Also, what bothers me is how Indonesia is so preoccupied over the cultural or social background of the leader, rather than ensuring that they were voting for an effective and strong leader. Indonesia need to realize that we are living in a ‘Pancasila’ nation where one’s background should not limit what one can or cannot do in a country. A strong leader should be selected regardless of their race, family background, religion and the list goes on. As long as they can drive Indonesia towards success, why should there be any resentment with them leading the country, we are after all living in a democratic country. I feel that one should not let what the Dutch had planted in our mind years ago affect the decisions that we make in this modern era.

padt

5:07pm Feb 29, 2012

GreenLanternTrololols - you ask what kind of leader Indonesia needs. Same as any leader. One who leads.

Think about it.

TheIncredibleHulk

5:16pm Feb 29, 2012

Good economic growth should not come at the price of corruption and human rights disregard. It could be true that Prabowo would be able to strengthen Indonesia's rapid economic growth, but at what cost? We do not know what his style of leadership would be; would he bring back his former father-in-law's regime? And if it is the case, would it be such a bad thing? Considering that although there was corruption during Suharto's reign, there was also prosperity and political stability.

Currently, Indonesia considers itself as a democratic country, however, what is democracy on paper translates to anarchy where people take matters into their own hands, disregarding the laws and get away with it, we have elite politics who have no other interests except enriching themselves, we have illegal raids executed by non-government organisations; such as FPI, we have a town mayor who defies the supreme court order who ruled in favour of GKI Yasmin Bogor. The crime rates are rising and the type of crimes grow more horrendous each day.

I think that Indonesian people are getting tired of empty promises and the rhetorical statements of the current government and are searching for other possible option. Although it is not an ideal solution, but if Prabowo can run this country as tight as Suharto did, then perhaps corruption and human rights issue is a relatively small price to pay for a country still searching for its place and identity.

dashSPH

5:32pm Feb 29, 2012

GreenLanternTrolols - I don't understand why you say corruption is inevitable. I guess you can argue it is part of human nature to commit such a thing, but corruption is only present if the governing body has insufficient power to relgulate it. Take this analogy for example. If a child is not allowed to eat the cake on the dining table, then place it somewhere else unreachable for them. Better yet, dont bake it at all. Don't create temptation.

Have you also thought of the fact why cabinet members must be of a certain racial background? Well certainly because only an Indonesian can Indoensia. It is an unspoken rule that will not change for generations to come. In terms of religion, a party with a Christian basis exists here in Indonesia. And surely they will not win or earn enough seats in the cabinet as 99% of the population is Muslim.

kungfu-panda

6:46pm Feb 29, 2012

An exceptional piece indeed. I applaud to the fact that the writers bravely & plainly stated the flaws of the Indonesia government. Surely, there are too many scandals & empty promises that flood the government. But this "disappointment in the government" should not be blamed solely on the president. I disagree with @GreenLanternTrololols who said that SBY is "eminently mediocre". The fact that the economy is booming and real development is obvious in this country, I believe SBY deserves more credit & respect. The amount of scandals & empty promises are ubiquitous to a country. The US is experiencing a lot of scandals within their politics too. It is a natural part of society & should not be counted as a flaw in a person's leadership capacity. We're merely humans, thus SBY deserves more credit than we are giving him. Criticizing is easy, & I doubt you can be a better president. Also, "guts" and "charisma" doesn't guarantee a better nation either. I doubt Prabowo could be any better.

ScottPilgrim

6:48pm Feb 29, 2012

dashSPH - I do think there are methods of minimizing corruption, but it is of course rather difficult (if possible at all) to eliminate it completely. News of corruption within the government no longer come as much of a surprise. This in itself raises a question: what incentive do politicians have to avoid corruption if they see their colleagues partaking in it so often? Also, as you said, "corruption is only present if the governing body has insufficient power to regulate it." What if the governing body is corrupt itself, as it is in the case of Indonesia? It seems as though corruption has permeated through nearly every level of government.

soysoy42

6:53pm Feb 29, 2012

It is really no surprise that the government in Indonesia has not developed in integrity or progress over the decades. Soeharto’s regime, as mentioned in the article, saw a period of impressive economic growth, at the expense of the beginning of flourishing corruption within the bureaucracy. Corruption is a sick thing and is a perpetuating issue that has never been addressed with an iron fist. The income gap in Indonesia shows how corruption is one of the fundamental reasons why the upper class continue to grow richer while the poor continue to be neglected and worsened life conditions both socially and economically.

It is extremely infuriating when I see pictures on Facebook of sleeping members in the House of Representatives. What is the use of a governing body who do not show concern to the well being of their people?

Also, politicians have had quite the reputation for being “ethically immature and devoid of integrity”, and the fact that they constantly get caught committing fraud, one after the other prove how much these politicians underestimate the importance of integrity in the government.

It is also drop dead obvious that the current government has failed to address critical problems in Indonesia, proving how oblivious they are in identifying the needs of the people.

However, on the other hand, is Indonesia really looking for another Soeharto who will rule with an iron fist? Prabowo, after violating a series of human rights should be reevaluated with a mind of clarity. We must not be myopic. The problem with the government is the corruption that is going around unchecked. Will a man with charisma and a record of cruelty be able to fix this problem, or will he instead intensify corruption within the bureaucracy?

As much as we love to commemorate Soeharto for his amazing tribute to raising the Indonesian economy in the past, there were plenty of reasons why we, Indonesians, demanded Soeharto to step down. I believe we must stop looking back and look forward, and address the real venom to our country: the ending of corruption, and the search for a leader who will own the integrity to fight and abolish corruption in its most extreme forms.

DrDez

6:57pm Feb 29, 2012

dash.. 83% are Muslim (and dropping) and only probably 10% aligned with Islamic parties - but I understand your point

I do think that if a suitable candidate, who was strong and just came forward he could gain the popular support. His / her issue would be that the elite would soon destroy his/her attempts via smear, scare and even violent campaigns..

I really do not see RI moving forward politically in the next decade. That could lead to further unrest which could lead to someone basically using his position to declare a state of emergency and impose a military solution. Prabowo could be that man. Bakrie probably does not have the military support to do so

The other candidates are just stalking horses right now

I suspect Bakrie will tie up with some military man as VP running mate to counter Prabowo's position - in turn maybe Prabowo will enlist someone like Hatta...

OptimusPrime

7:09pm Feb 29, 2012

Dash - First off, the analogy you presented where corruption is a "cake" that can be taken away is faulty. Yes, the cake can be taken away from the "child" but can't the one who takes the cake away eat it? I actually agree with the sentiment put forth by Green Lantern that corruption is inevitable, especially in a country like Indonesia. I believe that every country experiences corruption. It's just a matter of how bad it is. As an Indonesian, I am not proud of the corruption going on but I don't see this changing anytime soon.

Another point I would like to stress is what will Prabowo do if elected? This piece seems to have no clue! As seen in the 5th to last paragraph, it says that, "in reality, there are no indications that any of the current potential candidates are capable of offering anything new." So my question is, where did all this hype of Prabowo come from? The LSI who for all we know could be corrupt? Get real.

As a side note, what is a theology teacher doing writing this?

DrDez

7:25pm Feb 29, 2012

Kung Fu

I understand your point. But I think our growth is despite not because of SBY. Indeed his weakness is leading to an awful lot of missed opportunities where inwards investors are being very cautious but also Indonesians are investing out of the country - just in case - spreading the risk etc

Another important issue is to understand the make up of that growth - once you strip out the DFI and population growth percentiles then actually we are not so great and growth is c 1.5 to 2%

However... I cannot see a viable alternative who could perform better

ScottPilgrim

7:31pm Feb 29, 2012

This article was well-written and extremely thought-provoking in that it raises numerous valid points for us to consider. One statement that stood out to me in particular was, "Politicians, rather than behaving as servants of the people doing their best to provide solutions to the nation’s problems, behave like petty autocrats, whose whims and demands need to be satisfied." What Indonesia truly needs is a leader who will put the country's needs ahead of his or her own - in essence, a servant leader.

In several years the task of governing this country will fall to the up and coming generation, who should be fostered from early on to understand that change needs to occur. Though the current government has set a poor precedent, I believe that the Indonesian youths have the potential to be major game-changers - nationally and globally.

dashSPH

7:32pm Feb 29, 2012

ScottPilgrim - In terms of incentives, i ask you this question in return. Why give yourself up to serving your country? Obviously because you wanna see your country flourish. Nationalism is a big part of this.

And as for the governing body. It leads back to my initial statement. A change from the top must occur. And i think Prabowo would make an exceptional leader to make this change.

GreenLanternTrololols

7:45pm Feb 29, 2012

padt - I was to the characteristics that determine whether a person can 'lead' or not

dashsph – when I was mentioning about my concern about racial background, I was referring to Indonesians who are born in Indonesia, but they were the descendants of non-native Indonesians. Aren’t they Indonesian as well? Furthermore, your response had proven my point. Why should the fact that Indonesia is comprised of a majority of Muslims affect the outcome of who is leading this country? Should that not be a determining factor of choosing someone to lead?

Kungfu Panda – I am not referring to any scandals at all in my response. I was referring to his ineffectiveness and failure to solve some of the most pressing issues in Indonesia like what I perivously mentioned, the Bapindo mud incident in East Java. Also your comment is rather insulting as you just offended me on my capability in potentially becoming a leader or being a part of any governing body. Also, criticizing is not always a bad thing, and only by evaluating the current state of government do we have any hope of ensuring a better future. If we don’t think deeply of such issues, it’s just going to worsened. For example, people like artists or writers often look for constructive criticism, not because they want to be belittled but so they can become better. Also, you have to take note on the fact that I do commend SBY on his anti-corruption movement, but the fact that he managed to ignore some things has proved otherwise.

dashSPH

7:47pm Feb 29, 2012

Optimus Prime - pertaining to my cake analogy. The parent would obviously be the man at the top, our president. And yes he has the power to enjoy the cake for himself. Which is why a new and transparent leader must be elected to prevent this from happening.

When will we see actual progress if all we can do to criticize. Time is of the essence!

kungfu-panda

8:00pm Feb 29, 2012

Dr Dez

What kind of weakness are you referring to? A great deal of investors have invested in Indonesia since he took power, and that is part of the reason the economy have been improving a lot. Indonesia has also improved valuable ties with foreign countries, including the US too! At least our economy is going somewhere positive, despite the fact that it is only growing at a minuscule scale.

To the authors: I think your statement on "politicians could avoid this by being transparent" is extremely naive. Politicians are all about manipulation. A great quote by Dean Koontz: "A politician's goal is always to manipulate public debate. I think there are some politicians with higher goals. But all of them get corrupted by power."

dashSPH

8:01pm Feb 29, 2012

Optimus Prime - pertaining to my cake analogy. The parent would obviously be the man at the top, our president. And yes he has the power to enjoy the cake for himself. Which is why a new and transparent leader must be elected to prevent this from happening.

When will we see actual progress if all we can do to criticize. Time is of the essence!

kungfu-panda

8:09pm Feb 29, 2012

GreenLanternTrololols - No intentions in insulting you. I just think you're underestimating the complexity of solving national issues. What are the things that SBY have ignored? So far I've seen great progress in Indonesia while he is in power. Investors are flowing into the country, and we are rising up to the standards of great cities in terms of technological development and the potential in a stable economy. The mud incident in East Java was a natural occurrence. Have you been there yourself? I have, and it is not as simple as you think it is. What can you do with hot mud that naturally erupts onto the surface at 100,000 cubic meters per day?!

And btw, its Lapindo not Bapindo...

ScottPilgrim

8:10pm Feb 29, 2012

Kungfu-Panda - "Criticizing is easy, & I doubt you can be a better president." @GreenLanternTrololols might not be fit to run a country now, but considering the depth of his criticisms (which in itself is not a bad thing, since only by recognizing issues are we able to resolve them) it seems he very much has the potential to in several years. If we had more people like GreenLanternTrololols in government, who are critically thinking about how to eliminate the country's problems, perhaps the Indonesian government would not be the rampantly corrupt body it is now.

DrDez

8:39pm Feb 29, 2012

Kung Fu

If I have to point out the weaknesses of the man then you clearly are not looking for them

soysoy42

8:58pm Feb 29, 2012

@dashSPH

A new and transparent leader, dash? This is Wolverine, btw. We all desire a new and transparent leader, but face it. with great power comes great responsibility, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is not possible for one man to stop corruption that has perpetuated since you were born. It takes the realization of the wholeness of the bureaucracy and for them to actually begin to care about the needs of Indonesians everywhere. Let's be realistic.

Optimus Prime is a co-submitter of this comment.

@kungfupanda

It is sad to see how people have undermined the importance of integrity and true progress in a government and instead glorify all the wealth and prosperity corruption brings.

Is economic growth so important that it crushes the importance of individual human rights and the stop of corruption?

Have we become so consumed with material wealth that we forget the true characteristics a government should uphold?

kungfu-panda

9:10pm Feb 29, 2012

Dr. Dez

Surely everyone has weaknesses. The point I'm trying to make is we should hold him accountable for his strengths too; he's not getting enough appreciation for what he's done. And besides, by saying what you said doesn't mean you're aware of his weaknesses yourself.

kungfu-panda

9:21pm Feb 29, 2012

@soysoy42/wolverine

Your comments contradict itself in that you made it clear, corruption has perpetuated since we were born. It is an inevitable factor in life, so is in our current government, which is why some level of respect must be given to our leader because corruption is not solely in his control. I don't wish to undermine the importance of integrity in nation's development. But people almost never mention the strengths of a government. The fact that economy has grown is a measure of true development done under SBY's regime. Don't take this the wrong way, I highly encourage criticism so that we may continue to improve the nation by finding its faults. But let us not disregard the positives too; we must continue to strengthen that as well.

TheFrozone

9:24pm Feb 29, 2012

@dashSPH

Taking away the cake that is the temptation for the representatives of our country. Who would you propose be this "transparent leader" that you speak of? A representative of the nation? Someone we might call the president maybe? Or someone who supersedes the authority of the president himself? And say if this transparent person was to one day put himself before the rest of the nation. Who then will take the cake away from our supreme ruler? When will this cycle end? Will it ever end? I agree with Optimus Prime and Wolverine

DrDez

9:31pm Feb 29, 2012

Kung Fu

We should - but he should also be accountable for his failures dont you think?

Boarding on 10 mins - so I may not reply

rambo

9:36pm Feb 29, 2012

Indonesian corruption will NOT and NEVER stop unless a strong government is going to be built. SBY's government is too weak to handle such problems, therefore punishing corruptors lightly and in most cases are not bold enough to make a sacrifice both from the government and the citizens. Prabowo as the son in law of the late- Soeharto should carry on Soeharto's strong governmenship (despite of the corruption happened during his reign) brought REAL changes and REAL improvements, unlike SBY's "REAL" promises. Although his intentions are good, and he's a good man SBY has the least of capability to bring REAL changes to Indonesia's politics, corruption in specific.

I also applaud to the writers of this article for pointing out the fact that no matter who leads indonesia, including Prabowo or Megawati or Aburizal or even SBY himself will not succeed unless they have the "courage to break the authoritarian past"

GreenLanternTrololols

9:46pm Feb 29, 2012

Kungfu Panda – Mind you, I was born in East Java and I just went there (the mudflow site) last month. Here’s the thing, although it is a natural occurrence, the government is help responsible to ensure that the people affected are being looked after. Instead, the SBY administration has failed in solving the case. Many victims, up until now have not get compensation money yet, even though their land had been swamped by the mudflow for many years, which indicated how the SBY had failed to function fully. Up until now, only a ‘temporary’ dam was built around the 'nature recreation' site. Furthermore, judging by its poor structure and the materials it is made out of, there's a high likelihood that it would break, increasing the magnitude of destruction in that area.

Mystique

9:46pm Feb 29, 2012

Well written article, which I completely agree with.

The corruption needs to stop. I appreciate the effort in trying to stop this, but honestly, I feel like our generation won't see the end of corruption in Indonesia.

In terms of Prabowo as a presidential candidate, this is what Indonesia needs. Indonesia boomed economically under Suharto, despite his abuse of human rights. Sometimes that's what a nation needs to succeed.

mswonderwoman

9:47pm Feb 29, 2012

@kungfupanda "The fact that the economy is booming and real development is obvious in this country" to mr. kungfupanda, the fact that the economy is booming doesn't mean that everyone's lives is improving along with the economy. As we can all see from various cases in the past few weeks and even from the 2nd paragraph of this article that under SBY, only some lives are prosperous. Only the government officials who have been corrupting our money right under our president's nose are happy right now. I don't think the rest of us are very pleased that our hard earned money is being used to pay for a minister's new bentley. And the fact that SBY has let this go on for so long makes a lot of us pretty unhappy with him too.and when you said that SBY deserves our respect. I don't think even his ministers respect him. If they did, his orders would have never gone unheeded. SBY might have been good president during his first term with Jusuf Kalla, but now he needs to learn to 'man up'.

and on an interesting side note. I think that the Dayak people have more gut and power than our beloved president. They seem to manage to send away the FPI in less than a day, something that SBY and our government seems to have trouble with, even though they've been dealing with this issue for years. Just another reason why Indonesia clearly needs a strong, decisive leader.

Deadpool

9:52pm Feb 29, 2012

Even after the fall of Suharto, Indonesia indeed still experience a problem regarding corrupt politician. The case regarding the politician that watched explicit videos during a meeting that was supposedly aimed at removing such as explicit material, is a testament to this. With all that Prabowo has been accused for, there is evidence to suggest that he indeed rigged the votes in his favor in some way, explaining why he has such a fine position in the elections.

That aside, regarding SBY right now, @kungfu-panda is right in that blaming everything entirely on him is not right and every individual should question whether they could do a better job in his position

ScottPilgrim

10:00pm Feb 29, 2012

GreenLanternTrololols - Totally agree. Every leader has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, but it's how those strengths and weaknesses are applied that counts. Of course SBY does not have control over natural disasters, but of all the people in Indonesia, he is the one who has the authority and resources to handle them if and when they occur. In this case, I believe there were better measures he could have taken to ensure the well-being of those affected.

soysoy42

10:01pm Feb 29, 2012

@kungfupanda

Main Submitter: Wolverine

Co-Submitter: Green Lantern, Scott Pilgrim

Co-Sponsor: Wonder Woman, Optimus Prime

It is extremely difficult to commend a government that is led by SBY for many reasons. The first being the way he addressed the Nassarudin case. Anyone who followed that news story would agree that SBY made an extremely weak public speech. He basically pleads Nassarudin to come home and share the truth so that justice can be procured. It was as if Nassarudin was the prodigal son! Next, so many corruption cases have been exposed revolving around cabinet members of SBY, showing that he cannot control his bureaucracy. SBY clearly does not recognize the magnitude of corruption and how it destroys Indonesia as a country.

mswonderwoman

10:06pm Feb 29, 2012

isn't it interesting to know that the Democratic Party, SBY's party is the one involved in the highly publicized and controversial Wisma Atlet corruption case? and isn't it interesting to find out that most of the people who were charged with the Wisma Atlet corruption case (Nazaruddin, Angelina Sondakh and Mindo Rosalina Manulang) are all from SBY's democratic party. it's not hard to see why our country is as corrupt as it is today.

 mystique - so you would rather live in fear for your life every single day for the next 4 years just to see Indonesia's economy booming? just a reminder, Prabowo was the mastermind of the 1998 riot. If he becomes President, what are the chances that there will be a second, or even worse riot in the future? We're trying fix our mistakes, not repeat history.

rambo

10:12pm Feb 29, 2012

@mystique: I do not agree with you along with saying that "sometimes that's what a country needs to succeed". A nation needs to sacrifice its selfishness, not that "abuse of human rights" are neccesary in getting rid of corruption and (or) improving condition of a country by bringing new resolutes to the country. In that term, i disagree with you

BionicWoman

11:28pm Feb 29, 2012

What a well written article indeed. It saddens me when i read that politicians do not view their job as a duty to serve the people but rather as an opportunity to 'behave like petty autocrats, whose whims and demands need to be satisfied'. I am equally disappointed in the fact that Prabowo (who was 'accused of serious human rights abuses') cam in strong second as a potential presidential candidate.I am surprised at how the Indonesian government would willingly allow such a candidate with such records to even run for president. How can the people expect to trust a leader that could abuse human rights (and probably go to an extent where summary execution might happen?)when there is already many suffering and chaos due to human rights abuses? A country would only develop further and abandon corruption etc. when the people was able to trust their leader to serve and govern the country properly and unselfishly; and from there, obeying the govt. to participate in developing the country.

ElektraNatchios

11:28pm Feb 29, 2012

@mystique is it really what Indonesia needs? To go back to something similar to the Suharto regime with very little freedom? If Prabowo's going towards that direction, there's a guarantee that I will not cast my vote on him. Although I do not agree with you on Prabowo, I agree with the fact that we won't see the end to corruption as it is inevitable. Face it, corruption is now evenly distributed from the small people to those in power.

F-l-a-s-h

11:49pm Feb 29, 2012

Moreover, what is the government actually doing with 'economic growth'? There are still more than 30 million people under the poverty - that's 30 million people making 233 thousand rupiah per month. If Indonesia is currently suffering with 30 million people only making around 20 dollars per month, and corruption behind the scenes, would you say the 'economic growth' that Indonesia has any use? I mean is good to say there is growth, but what good does it do when that growth is not implemented with the good of the society? After all, that is the government's job isn't it? The establishment and maintenance of law to ensure fair dealing between individuals, families and organization; enabling them to develop and fulfill various appointed tasks - such as gathering of food, maintenance of shelter, commerce, etc. Is the government doing any good with the "economic growth" to fulfill its role as government?

MALEWHITEBULE

11:58pm Feb 29, 2012

your allllll wrong.... we need to bring back the Communist part! Indonesia obviously cant pull its self together, what with all the corruption. So forget democracy! i believe Indonesia should follow the late Stalinist Russia's model. Its main focus should be on the building up of Indonesia as a whole and forgetting about the individual. For too long Suharto's shadow has loomed over Indonesian politics for too long the word Communist has only been spoken in a hushed voice. Its time for the PKI too be reestablished, and for common pay and opportunity too be given too all! just look at Russia did it not work for them? they were once a backward corrupt country that couldn't make up its mind on leaders (tsar's, too democracy, too Bolshevism, and finally a good totalitarianism communist government). in conclusion this election does not need too take place. lets just all agree on one person too have total authority over us.
BRING BACK PKI.... ITS the only wayyy. Indonesians cant seem too get it together... so why dont they all give all the power to an authoritarian government. Like the one under Stalin back in the good old days. I mean just look at Russia now! its a major political power house and it was alllll because of Stalin.. good old Stalin. So lets stop talking about this presidential race because it shoudnt happen in the first place.

megamindSPH

12:15am Mar 1, 2012

I can see that everyone here seem to think that all the presidential candidates should man up. I get it, I really do because it is frustrating to see that the head of our country seem to not have the backbone to stand up and make crucial changes. However, let’s not forget that we do not really know what is happening behind the scene and how in reality SBY might be doing so much more than we give him credit for.

Anyhow, we can see that there is progress. Even though it is moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, we can see that change is happening all around us. I suppose, as of right now, the best we can do is support SBY – after all his term as the president of Indonesia is not over yet. It is kind of depressing to know that even The Economist says that “50% of SBY’s orders go unheeded”. How can you expect the man to change Indonesia when his own government does not give the effort to listen to his orders?

littlemisscaptainunderpants

12:52am Mar 1, 2012

Indonesia’s conditions are currently looking very inauspicious, with the havoc that the people are wreaking everywhere as well as the corruption that is so prevalent within the government itself. To exacerbate the inauspiciousness, Megawati is leading in numbers of voters. From past Indonesian history, we do know that Megawati did very little good to the development of Indonesia, and this would automatically bring a bleak prospect to Indonesia’s future should she continuously be topping the charts. Even so, with Prabowo, we still do not know if he will be of any difference to Megawati. Will he bring Indonesia’s economy to its heights? Or will he make any difference at all? Indonesia’s government ideally should be cured of its impediment, that is, corruption, especially, since the elections are drawing near, within the elections. The fate of Indonesia lies in its future election, and ultimately in fate’s hands itself.

F-l-a-s-h

1:18am Mar 1, 2012

Moreover, what is the government actually doing with 'economic growth'? There are still more than 30 million people under the poverty - that's 30 million people making 233 thousand rupiah per month. If Indonesia is currently suffering with 30 million people only making around 20 dollars per month, and corruption behind the scenes, would you say the 'economic growth' that Indonesia has any use? I mean is good to say there is growth, but what good does it do when that growth is not implemented with the good of the society? After all, that is the government's job isn't it? The establishment and maintenance of law to ensure fair dealing between individuals, families and organization; enabling them to develop and fulfill various appointed tasks - such as gathering of food, maintenance of shelter, commerce, etc. Is the government doing any good with the "economic growth" to fulfill its role as government?

hlest

1:26am Mar 1, 2012

I agree with the idea that what Indonesia needs is a strong leader with the ability to keep his government and his people under control. The injustice in this country is rampant, and the chaos caused by various groups in the country are nothing new to Indonesia. It’s not surprising at all that people are looking for something who they can trust to take charge. However, I do realize that the implications of another “iron-fisted” leader are far from encouraging. People tend to remember things better than they really were, and Indonesians are no exception. That said, I don’t get the hubbub over Prabowo, really. People really need to start thinking of what they’re getting into in voting for someone who’s never really proven himself accordingly in the political real.. --> one with a record of human rights abuses.

#1 iron

hlest

1:30am Mar 1, 2012

I agree that corruption isn’t something so easily removed from a society to which it has so strongly adhered itself to over the past few dacades. However, its very possible to have a leader with enough control to enforce the proper sanctions upon caught corruptors. Needless to say, in that instance, Indonesia’s got a long way to go. We can’t abolish corruption, but perhaps we would be able to find someone with enough integrity to do the right thing.

on a lighter note, the views of the government presented in this article made me chuckle, but for all the wrong reasons. It’s kind of sad that we actually agree to some of these incredibly unflattering images of the government. Change is truly what we need, not only in the government of the country, but in the way the people think as well.

Valkyrie

5:27am Mar 1, 2012

mswonderwoman...

I believe you forgot to mention the main alleged 'culprit' in the Wisma Atlet debacle...A.U. Was this done on purpose?

How many of the Dems participated in the alleged money politics involving the support for AU?

I watched the news, and I assume you too. Several have admitted that they received monies amounting to almost 100 Million Rupiahs for supporting AU. The ongoing court case will, I hope produce valid evidence that AU's finances originate from ill gotten gains.

The Dems are demonic with wanton desires for wealth and power. Their arrogance is well known and I hope their day of reckoning will come soon. Top down.

padt

6:57am Mar 1, 2012

OptimusPrime - you ask "...what is a theology teacher doing writing this (article)" Co-writer, as it is.

I am not sure why you ask this question.

Does it imply that a person trained in theology wouldn't have any understanding of politics or social sciences?

Does it imply - to me - the very false assumption that theology (religion) is a private affair and has no place in public life or the public square? (I am totally opposed to theocratic states and 'State Religions' but I believe religious people have a right to make their voice heard to politicians, like any citizen can - without the country becoming a place that lives under religious laws. Hence I believe in the 'separation of church and State' - but I do not believe religion should be told to 'shut up'.)I AM NOT suggesting you have implied this.

Why do I write these aricles with Yohanes Suliaman? He comes from an academic political background and I come from an academic religious background - both are concerned with human beings.

OptimusPrime

10:28am Mar 1, 2012

First of all, I would like to make it clear that I asked a question. Like any other question, I simply wanted an answer. I apologize if it seemed that my question had negative underlying implications. I just thought that it was interesting to point out. I did not intend to offend.

With that being said, I am actually a Christian who share your belief. I don't believe that religion of any kind should hinder someone from speaking their voice. Opinions matter and I, agreeing with you, don't believe that religion should be told to "shut up."

I commend you for writing this article and I hope that I didn't offend. I simply wanted the opinions of others on this matter because I do care about the future of my country.

padt

11:17am Mar 1, 2012

OptimusPrime - you didn't offend by asking the question nor did I take offence. I replied as I was curious to know why you would ask such a question in the first place. I did not imply criticism of you for asking a legitimate question.

By the way - apart from curiosity - why did you ask the question?

And if I may make an aside - sometimes friends say to me, "You are not Indonesian. You should not comment on Indonesian affairs."

I always reply - "Yes - you have a point. And many would agree. It's up to the Indonesians to fix their own problems. Besides, I would not presume to even think that I can assist in fixing Indonesia's problems. But - also - given what is simply so unacceptable in Indonesia - in terms of the way some people behave and treat others - I also believe that when I look out the window - or across the street or into the face of anyone here - I don't simply see an Indonesian - I see a fellow human being. And that gives me the reason, duty and the right to comment."

tempodulu

11:33am Mar 1, 2012

you can huff and puff all you like, but removing the corruption from Indonesian politics would be like removing the sweetness from sugar. It ain't gonna happen!

OptimusPrime

11:48am Mar 1, 2012

padt - I'm glad to hear that. Now, to answer your question. I asked that question because I was curious to see how others in this discussion would reply. It was actually a knee-jerk reaction than anything else because when I was done reading this article, it took me by surprise that there were contributions from an expert in theology. Truth be told, I could only make very few links from the content of this article to the occupation of the co-author. I have made it a habit of mine to question the source and credibility of any article I come across and therefore, I just simply had to ask.

padt

12:30pm Mar 1, 2012

tempodulu - you may well be right. However, while you and I cannot change Indonesian politics and the dna of Indonesian corruption which is part of the body politic - we can change oursleves. And that revolution is the hardest to achieve.

Nothing will change in Indonesia until people change the way they think.

rambo

8:09pm Mar 1, 2012

@padt - I would have to disagree with you by saying that "nothing will change in Indonesia until people change the way they think". I'm not saying that the statement is wrong, but without any strong interference of someone of strong power will not be able to change indonesian politic. SBY would make a fine example to this, since he had a good intention and had make some approaches to extinguish corruption, but like people say "wild grass grows fast unless you whip out its roots" SBY's actions could not reach many of the corruptors. It did, for example the Anas and Permai group case that is still ongoing right now but for the most part, i dont think so. He was not alone, he had tons of people supporting him but he did not have the courage to put something real to the table..

If only he punished the offenders by for example death penalty like China did, other people would have been scared and probably leave corruption for good.

rambo

4:27am Mar 2, 2012

@padt - I would have to disagree with you by saying that "nothing will change in Indonesia until people change the way they think". I'm not saying that the statement is wrong, but without any strong interference of someone of strong power will not be able to change indonesian politic. SBY would make a fine example to this, since he had a good intention and had make some approaches to extinguish corruption, but like people say "wild grass grows fast unless you whip out its roots" SBY's actions could not reach many of the corruptors. It did, for example the Anas and Permai group case that is still ongoing right now but for the most part, i dont think so. He was not alone, he had tons of people supporting him but he did not have the courage to put something real to the table..

If only he punished the offenders by for example death penalty like China did, other people would have been scared and probably leave corruption for good.

padt

9:38am Mar 2, 2012

rambo - two things about your interesting comment:

Every change in society begins with an idea. Not a deed. And the idea - the mentality must take root in the Indonesian psyche first before the deeds can be done.

Secondly you seem to say that SBY has not achieved as much in terms of eradicating corruption because he does not have the courage to do so even though he has the support.

I invite you to reflect why that may be so.

We get lots and lots of statements today - but they all fall short of the word "...because...."

Perhaps the 'because' word is not used much in Indonesia because it is considered impolite to talk about 'negative' things.

SBY's administration will make an interesting study in the next decade - because it will reveal just how Indonesians deal with history - and the facts.