Scientist and ‘Manipulative Garden’

The scientists need to reflect on in the midst of widespread social injustice and the decline of democracy.

Two articles by a colleague, Sulistyowati Irianto, "Death of universities" (Kompas, 23/5/2017) and "Death of the Scientific Communitys" (Kompas, 7/1/2022), lash out at not only the government, research authorities and universities, but also the scientists themselves.

The "death" they refer to is marked by the recent rise of sectarian movements of practical politics at universities, in the name of the institution and carrying the university's banner.

Meanwhile, there have also been acts that seek to uproot the free spirit of academia by shuttering the culture, academic institutions and history that support scientists. Scientists have been co-opted by the bureaucracy, science and technology have been left behind, and this has made Indonesia only a market for the science and technology products of other nations.

Also read:

> Death of the Scientific Community

The word "death" is, of course, sarcasm. The colleges, universities, and research institutes now centralized under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) are in fact still alive, active and still producing scientists and knowledge. Scientific forums continue to be held, policy innovations continue to be promoted through the Kampus Merdeka (independent campus) campaign.

Likewise, programs are launched to demonstrate the freedoms that researchers and lecturers can obtain and access on campus. Basic research has been strengthened, downstream strategies are supported by channels that connect industries buoyed by market-friendly research policies.

Generally impressive, the realm of science and its institutionalization have received great attention from the government. The antithesis is that "death" doesn't really exist; or at least, it doesn't happen very often in the politics of science today. So, how to interpret the paradox of the world of science and its scientists, which seems even more absurd when it is said that there has been progress in science and the scientific community?

Paradox

The late professor of sociology of law from Airlangga University, Soetandyo Wignyosoebroto (1932-2013), once stated: "For me, education is 'educating the heart', but in my country, education is 'educating the brain'. The result is ‘a flock of new barbarians' who are capable, intelligent and well-informed to be ready to work and to be employed as paid experts.”

His reflection actually stemmed from a sharp critique on educated people in this republic who so easily “sell” their knowledge for power, both financial and political.

I don't know whether their dishonest act was simply to fulfill the their own and their family’s needs, or had reached the point to serve their employer’s interest in positions of power, to serve companies that were damaging the environment or even to deny people's rights, defend corruptors or engage in bribery, brokerism and financial crimes. Unfortunately, they did it without hesitation, let alone shame.

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> Maintaining Academic Freedom

Such practices, unfortunately, thrive in a climate of higher education that preserves the social structure of feudalism and hegemonic power. Anyone can easily fall into the trap of a campus imperium that is willing to “incapacitate” their conscience and sensitivities to the realities of societal problems. Instead of defending the oppressed, what is sought is good ties between the campus and the oppressors in power. The campus and its scientists can no longer stand firmly to fortify the goals of science for human civilization.

Now, the opposite is happening. More and more scientists are involved in Amdal (environmental impact analysis), legislation and licensing projects that justify environmental destruction. Not surprisingly, deforestation in Sumatra and Kalimantan as well as in Papua, has grown even worsen as a result of mining and expansion of oil palm plantations. It is not at all surprising that the uncontrollable greed of economic development policies that are capitalist, corrupt and manipulative actually indicates the absence of science. "Science" is abused to support those greedy interests.

For scientists with critical voices, it is clear that they face repression. The lawsuit (2018) against Bambang Hero Saharjo and Basuki Wasis from IPB University’s forestry department is an example of this repression.

Digital ‘playground’

The challenge for the world of science and scientists today is digital civilization. Digital technology is becoming more and more common every day. Digital power is transformed into a force that changes not only policies, but also public beliefs and awareness. At some point, it inevitably clashes with science.

Constitutional and administrative law expert Cass R. Sustein of Harvard University, in his latest book, Liars: Falsehoods and Free Speech in an Age of Deception (2021), emphasizes that deception as a strategy is extremely common in the current era. Scientists' long research resulting from laboratory tests can easily be subject to and be lost to false information controlled by the power of digital information channels. That is why it can endanger public health.

Systematic attacks also occur against scientists through hacking, doxing, persecution and intimidation. Rampant digital attacks against academics who have criticized the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, revisions to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law and the omnibus law on job creation are some examples (Kompas, 14/4/2021).

In the study by Wijayanto and Ward (2021), amidst the decline of democracy is the reality of "mercenaries" who are trained as pragmatic cyber troops. Such troops developed from a network of “[election] campaign teams” in Indonesia that were both disorganized and versatile. For example, in order to "sell" pro-business legislation as beneficial to public welfare, cyber troops are deployed to delegitimize and silence critics of the Omnibus Law (Job Creation Law) through "negative campaign" tactics to embarrass the critics and discredit academic views or public criticism.

Also read:

> The Legal Politics of the Omnibus Job Creation

Moving on from these realities, the world of scientists, universities, and research institutes is definitely not being shut down. Even so, it seems unreasonable in light of the democratic claims of the current regime to kill academia, research, and higher education development. What is happening is that the climate of academic freedom is being "curbed". It must still look beautiful, germinate, grow and develop, but with discipline and centralism that are in line with the interests of those in power.

This means that concerns are now growing about the future of science under increasing obstacles. It is not just anti-science politics that demonstrate the paradox of its policies, but also the fact that it (the power) is allowing science to develop in the “playground” of digital transformation in Indonesia, which is still banal and full of cyber violence and has no accountability.

Criticism can no longer be suppressed by silencing the scientists or co-opting the campuses, but by curbing and manipulating information in the trap of political interests. These are the things that scientists need to reflect on in the midst of widespread social injustice and the decline of democracy.

KOMPAS/NORBERTUS ARYA DWIANGGA MARTIAR

Herlambang P Wiratraman

Herlambang P Wiratraman, Lecturer, Gadjah Mada University law school; deputy chairman of ALMI’s science and society working group

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.