Law enforcement, especially on practices that damage democracy, such as corruption and intolerance, are things that need priority. Efforts to bring prosperity will run better in the democratic and non-corrupt system.
By
Rizal Sukma
·4 minutes read
SALOMO TOBING
Rizal Sukma
During the New Order regime, observers and the international community generally referred to Indonesia as an authoritarian developmentalist country, a country where the government built political legitimacy based on the results of economic development, by applying the principle of authoritarianism in exercising power. This identity was attached for more than three decades, until President Soeharto's resignation in 1998.
After the downfall of the New Order, one of the problems faced by Indonesia was how to formulate and project a positive identity and image on the international stage. Various major problems in the country made the international community doubt that Indonesia was entering the transition of democracy. Indonesia was only seen as a country that was experiencing a transition from authoritarianism. However, at that time it was still difficult to suspect whether the transition would move toward democracy or would even return to new authoritarianism.
Not a few people suspected that Indonesia would experience a long period of instability and crisis. Some even predicted that Indonesia would be scattered and become a producer of instability in the region. The outbreak of various conflicts, ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts and armed separatism movements in several regions, strengthened negative perceptions about Indonesia in the eyes of the world.
The Bali bombing terrorist attacks in October 2002, a year after terrorist attacks in New York, the United States, further complicated the challenges faced by Indonesia. The emergence of terrorism groups in the name of religion, when Indonesia was undergoing a transition from difficult authoritarianism, was feared to be a new problem for the region. Some foreign observers believed that Indonesia would not become a democratic country. Too many problems had to be resolved to get out of the crisis and move toward the transition and consolidation of democracy. Not a few argued that Indonesia would return to being an authoritarian country.
However, Indonesia again proved itself as a nation that had reliable resilience. In a relatively short time, driven by a determination to reform and become a democratic country, Indonesia managed to get out of the crisis. Domestic stability was recovering and the economy began to improve, followed by military reform, decentralization and regional autonomy, free and fair elections, a multiparty system and media freedom.
Because of the various important achievements, democracy is not only an asset for the restoration of economic and political life, but has also become Indonesia's international identity. Indonesia is now known as the third-largest democracy in the world. This image also allows Indonesia to once again play an active role with confidence on the international stage. The world respects and even makes Indonesia an example of a successful transition of democracy.
However, international perceptions of Indonesia's identity as a democratic country cannot be considered lasting. Nowadays, this democratic identity has begun to be eroded by two serious problems.
First, the return of discussions on the quality and durability of Indonesian democracy. This is driven by the strengthening of the assessment and perception of the regression or decline of Indonesian democracy.
Second, the image and identity of Indonesian democracy is tarnished, even threatened by the escalation of corruption. The Transparency International Report on the Indonesian Corruption Perception Index in 2022, for example, shows the worsening of corruption in Indonesia. Indonesia's ranking fell to 110th position of 180 countries. In fact, in 2021, Indonesia was in 96th position. Lately, the perception has been exacerbated by various scandals allegedly involving Finance Ministry officials. If this trend continues, it is feared that public trust in democracy, as a system that promises a clean government, will be increasingly eroded.
Indonesia's image and identity as a democratic country is formed with difficulty and is the result of the hard work of all elements of society. We are obliged to keep the positive image, not one damaged by the bad behavior of a handful of officials and a small number of community members. Law enforcement, especially on practices that damage democracy, such as corruption and intolerance, are things that need priority. Efforts to bring prosperity will run better in the democratic and non-corrupt system.
RIZAL SUKMA, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
