Indonesia’s economic performance continues to trigger
joyous optimism as we enter the new year, not only in the government but also
among economists, businesspeople and the country’s elite.
Indonesia, which boasts the
largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 16th largest in the world, has posted
real growth in gross domestic product this year of 6.5 percent. Meanwhile, the
middle class keeps growing and foreign direct investment is expected to top $20
billion, as companies continue to benefit from the country's natural resources
and booming domestic market.
And that’s not even mentioning
the other economic success stories of the year, such as the credit upgrade by
Fitch Ratings.
But despite the rosy picture
and optimism for the new year, there are problems that must be anticipated,
especially in the plantation and mining sectors.
The recent human tragedies in
Mesuji, both in Lampung and South Sumatra, and in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara,
signaled that we may see more conflicts in the future due to the forced
eviction of traditional settlers and farmers to make way for oil palm companies
and gold mining.
If left unattended, and with no
comprehensive solution in sight, these agrarian and mining conflicts could lead
to more chaos in many more regions.
The Mesuji and Bima tragedies
happened because police sided with the companies instead of protecting the
people who have been living on their ancestral land for generations. The
establishment of the armed PAM Swakarsa, or the private militia that helps the
police carry out forced evictions, has made matters worse in Mesuji, especially
where many people have died or lost their homes.
Meanwhile, in Bima, police at
the port of Sape fired live ammunition on demonstrators protesting against an
Australian company that is carrying out gold exploration and mining activities
on about 25 hectares of land. Television footage showed police brutality,
including shootings and wounded victims who avoided the hospital in fear that
they might be arrested.
The current administration’s
pro-job and pro-poor policies are just rhetoric.
In a year-end discussion, an
analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indria Samego, said
that these incidents could have been avoided if the government had fulfilled
its promise to distribute 9 million hectares of land to farmers. Based on the
People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree No. IX of 2001 on Land Reform, the
president was required to reorganize land distribution, land use and land
ownership. But alas, after 10 years, not much has been done.
Samego said root causes of the
incidents include slow bureaucracy, siding with capital owners, rampant
corruption in almost all government offices, uneven distribution of new
infrastructure and poor law enforcement. “As long as the social [gap] is still
very wide and the government is not fulfilling its promises, the incidents will
continue to happen,” he said.
On Nov. 13, the National Human
Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) sent a recommendation to the regent of Bima and
the management of Sumber Mineral Nusantara, a subsidiary of Australia’s Arc
Exploration, to pay attention to the local people. That warning also fell on
deaf ears.
From a historical perspective,
the Indonesian archipelago has been gifted with vast natural resources. As a
result, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the Japanese occupied Indonesia for
nearly four centuries. History has seen how insurgencies or social conflicts
can be linked to foreign intervention, and indeed, most of the conflict areas
experiencing social unrest have vast natural resources and host foreign companies.
Aceh has gas reserves and Mobil is based there, Papua has its gold reserves and
Freeport is based there, Kalimantan has its coal, East Timor has its rich oil
and gas reserves, and now Bima has its gold reserves.
But aside from that, we must
remember that the recent cases of bloody violence were also due to an erosion
of our social capital from cultural and religious wisdom. The values of
honesty, exemplary leadership, justice and generosity are diminishing due to
economic pragmatism and cultural permissiveness. And in this condition, the
common people are vulnerable, like highly flammable dry grass that is easily
ignited by the slightest spark, or in this case, by the interests of people
with money.
The government should prevent
further escalation of social conflicts by preserving the nation’s social
capital, with an emphasis on cultural and religious values for national
development. Development should put people’s welfare as its top priority. There
are 103 regions identified with the potential for conflict. But nobody, not
even the authorities, has the right to evict people from their ancestral land.
And as far as law enforcement
is concerned, the whole Indonesian police corps should be audited. The police
doctrine and standard operating procedures must be reviewed.
Yanto Soegiarto
Jakarta Globe
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment