Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – Commemorating 26 years of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that much of the agenda and ideals of reformasi have been betrayed.
Kontras Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya said that the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has failed to carry out the mandate of reformasi, especially in terms of getting away from authoritarian forms government.
"Twenty-six years of reformasi, the agenda has been betrayed. Now the New Order isn't shy about showing itself", he said in a written release on Tuesday May 21.
Arya said that the betrayal occurred through the phenomenon of revising several laws that indicate the return of authoritarianism in Indonesia. As a result, the fate of democracy is on the horns of a dilemma.
For example, the government together with the House of Representatives (DPR) is currently discussing revisions to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, the National Police (Polri) Law and the Broadcasting Law (UU Penyiaran), the contents of which are far removed from the spirit of reformasi, democratisation and the protection of human rights (HAM).
"This actually shows that the government prefers to return to the practices of the New Order rather than carrying out the mandate of reformasi as a whole", said Arya.
According to Arya, this shows how legal supremacy appears powerless to overcome the arbitrariness of power, and that the practices of the New Order have reemerged.
Therefore, he said, reformasi has been betrayed by people who were placed in the highest and most strategic positions of the state through the democratic mechanism fought for by reformasi.
"Now, the authoritarian character of the New Order is no longer shy about showing itself, violence continues to occur, Suharto's former son-in-law [Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto] has become the president elect, and the practice of KKN (Collusion, Corruption and Nepotism) is again widespread", said Arya.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Kontras: 26 Tahun Reformasi, Orde Baru Tak Malu Menampakkan Diri".]
