Jakarta Journo: Obama's Indonesia Speech Lifts a Veil

Jakarta Globe, Armando Siahaan | November 14, 2010

United States President Barack Obama’s speech at the University of Indonesia may have charmed the nation with its inspirational message and unassuming flattery. But if we look closer, we will realize that the so-called remarkable Indonesia Obama spoke of remains very much a work in progress.

United States President Barack Obama and the
 first lady, Michelle Obama, walking an honor guard
cordon as  they disembark Air Force One upon arrival in
 Jakarta, Indonesia, last week. (AP Photo/Charles
Dharapak)  

To start with, Obama’s speech coincided with the country’s National Heroes Day, which in itself is an irony. Indonesian youngsters today know more about foreign “heroes” such as Obama than the likes of Indonesian freedom fighters such as Sultan Hasanuddin and Pangeran Antasari.

But even more significantly, Obama spoke of Indonesia’s marvelous triumph in liberating itself from different sorts of occupation. As the former Menteng resident put it: “But you also ultimately decided that freedom cannot mean replacing the strong hand of a colonizer with a strongman of your own.” It is safe to assume that by “strongman” he was referring to former President Suharto and his 32-year reign.

And while Obama recognized that Indonesia suffered for decades under Suharto’s “iron fist,” a group of amnesiacs recently sought to bestow the tyrant with an official national hero accolade.

Obama then went on to both praise and warn us on the dangers of corruption. “And through its leadership of the G-20’s anticorruption group, Indonesia should lead on the world stage by example in embracing transparency and accountability,” he said.

If Indonesia were really held up as an example to other countries of how to deal with corruption, then people all over the world would soon be able to escape a traffic violation by paying a police officer Rp 50,000 ($6), big-shot companies would have no trouble evading their taxes and bribing a judge would be as normal as a toddler’s fondness for lollipops.

This is, after all, the country where an envelope of money and a sketchy wig made it possible for high-profile corruption suspect Gayus Tambunan to allegedly enjoy a tennis tournament in Bali when he was supposed to be behind bars. The war on corruption must go on.

Obama also praised Indonesia for its tolerance. “But here can be found the ability to bridge divides of race and region and religion — that ability to see yourself in all individuals,” he said.

I wonder how the Ahmadiyah sect feels about Obama’s praise for Indonesia’s tolerance?

Obama also said that “Islam flourishes [in Indonesia] but so do other faiths.” Tell that to church elder who was stabbed in Bekasi, or the Buddhists who were forced to remove a Buddha statue from their shrine.

This is not to say that these problems reflect what Indonesia is about as a whole. The symbolic picture of Istiqlal Mosque standing right across the street from a cathedral is still the prevailing paradigm. But the government cannot let widespread religious intolerance go unchecked.

Furthermore, Obama also talked about the growth of Indonesia’s political system. “In recent years, the world has watched with hope and admiration as Indonesians embraced the peaceful transfer of power and the direct election of leaders,” he said.

Yes, we’ve held national and regional elections. But the job isn’t over. Money politics is as rampant as Indonesians liking for white rice and Indomie.

The maturity of our politicians, or lack thereof, is another issue. Those who were directly elected by the people often prioritize themselves and their political parties before their responsibility to the country and people.

This is a country where lawmakers spent taxpayer money to go to Greece, supposedly to study ethics.

Obama’s fondness for nasi goreng and bakso, as well as his ability to say “pulang kampung nih,” surely endeared him even more to Indonesians. But we must be able to see beyond that and not simply take his words at face value.

The Indonesian story that he spoke of is one that is still in the making. While it is true that we’ve made significant progress in the past decade or so, we need to realize that the fairy-tale ending is still a way off.