President Abdurrahman Wahid must be viewing with alarm the spate of religious violence which has struck Indonesia. The violence must also be causing Foreign Minister Alexander Downer some concern. At least 14 people were killed and 50 injured in bomb attacks on Christmas Eve outside Christian churches. The bombs were planted across Indonesia, including the capital. Hitherto anti-Christian violence was mainly confined to the Maluku Islands where the Christian minority is stronger. Overall, Christians make up 10 per cent of Indonesia’s population.
The spread of the violence is alarming. Perhaps more alarming is the alleged source of it – interests which had flourished under former President Suharto determined to stir strife between Christians and Moslems in an attempt to undermine the move to peaceful democracy under President Wahid. They want to maintain the privilege and power of the army and to continue economic corruption. They also want to prevent the success of separatist movements in several parts of Indonesia. The targetting of Christians in also troubling because many Christians are from the Chinese minority which provides Indonesia with some economic strength. Destabilising the Chinese minority could be very damaging.
At heart, President Wahid is a democrat. He would probably allow some parts of Indonesia to become independent – notably Aceh and West Papua – if he had his way. But the stirrings of the Suharto forces in the 14 months since Mr Wahid was elected President have made him feel less certain of his position, so he has avoided mention of any prospect of independence. The ambivalence of his position was once again illustrated this week, when he said the people of West Papua should exercise the right of free speech, but he would not tolerate acts of secession or violence.
“”I will allow anyone the right to say what they think,” he told a crowd of about 3,000 in the provincial capital, Jayapura. “”But if these acts are accompanied by violence and preparations for independence, as a man who stands by the constitution and the sovereignty of the country, then inevitably I have to act.”
It was a odd statement from a national leader in a province that culturally, ethnically and religiously sits apart from the rest of the country. In effect, the message from the President was you can talk about independence, but you can never aspire to it. He would have been more honest if he had said, “”I would like to give you independent, but the army will not let me”.
President Wahid knows that self-determination for those areas that demand it is the right thing to happen and in the long-term the best thing to happen for the people of Indonesia and the people of the areas seeking independence. Surely, one of the great lessons of post-colonial history is that ultimately the cry of self-determination will not be extinguished and it would be better to meet it peacefully than hope to suppress it by force.
At present, it is in the interests of the Javanese elite to hold on to every part of the former Dutch colony of the East Indies, no matter how culturally, ethnically and religiously different they are. The elite gets money and power from the subjugation. Small wonder, this elite sees the stirring up of religious violence as a means to holding on to that power by undermining President Wahid and his democratic inclinations.
Fortunately, the religious leaders are preaching restraint rather than revenge, and one can only hope their calls are not in vain.
Australia’s position is this must be carefully thought out. Obviously, a peace unified Indonesia is in Australia’s interests. But that might not be an option. The question then becomes, should Australia support a unified Indonesia at all costs, no matter how violent the suppression of separatist movements. It will not be in Australia’s long-term interest to have been a long-time support of a united Indonesia under Javanese control if the country ultimately fragments. Better to have been a voice of democracy and liberty, even if a restrained and careful one. That voice might have some influence in restraining those stirring violence now. It is certainly in their interests to have an unquestioning Australia that supports unity at all costs.