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JANUARY 31, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 4
The worst-case scenario hasn't happened--and won't. Of course, there are centrifugal forces at play. From Papua in the east and Aceh in the west there are demands to be free of Jakarta's overbearing rule. But Indonesia is not a Yugoslavia. Consider what we've achieved: we now have a democratically elected government led by two of the most popular figures in the country, President Abdurrahman Wahid--better known as Gus Dur--and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Their credentials for promoting democracy and the rule of law emerged intact from the moral decay of the past regime. They represent a commitment to good governance and, more importantly, to non-violence. This is a radically different approach from the former practices of sustained repression and brutal silencing of dissent. Last year's elections, which some had predicted would lead to chaos and bloodshed, were orderly, peaceful and free. The army, which some had feared might attempt to intimidate voters, stayed scrupulously on the sidelines. With all its shortcomings, its perceived tardiness in embracing the new paradigm and its frustration over never-ending accusations of human rights abuses, the military kept to the political bargain, which will mean its gradual exit from parliament. The army is slowly coming to terms with its new role, recognizing the supremacy of the law and the need to obey civilian institutions. There is still the problem of implementing reform policies. New habits and attitudes take time to gain a foothold. And old practices, like old soldiers, take even longer to change. Recent mutterings about a coup d'état show the frustration and pain the military faces in letting go of the past and heading into unfamiliar terrain. The die-hards are still there, but they have lost all moral authority. How can Indonesia defuse the simmering social tensions exacerbated by religious and ethnic diversity? No one is better qualified than Gus Dur to traverse this tortuous road of reconciliation and peacemaking. For this healing pilgrimage the President, with Megawati at his side, is well prepared. His wit and humor are a refreshing breeze in the stale air. Indeed, for more than a decade he and his friends have been laying the foundations for inter-faith dialogue and developing a social fabric based on tolerance and non-violence. This solidarity is creating the framework for the rebirth of Indonesia. Regional demands for greater freedom are now being settled through negotiation. It is an approach fraught with danger, but one can predict with confidence that there will be no Kosovos in this archipelago. Indonesia is engaged in a vast project of democratization through decentralization, de-bureaucratization and de-monopolization of power. The ideal of a country that recognizes plurality and diversity within a union may be tattered here and there, but it has survived more than one bout of turmoil since its birth half a century ago. It may be wounded for now, but it will stand the test of time. Aristides Katoppo is a senior editor of the Indonesian daily Suara Pembaruan TIME Asia home Quick Scroll: More stories from TIME, Asiaweek and CNN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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