Solo, Kompas – The disagreement between the progressive-revolutionary forces that exist in Indonesia must be ended immediately. If not, these forces will be unable to weave together the cooperation needed to generate the energy to withstand the entry of neoliberalism into Indonesia that is becoming increasingly pervasive and visible.

This view was conveyed by sociologist George Junus Aditjondro during a seminar titled “An Evaluation of the Failure of Reformasi and the Need for an Alternative Political Force”, which was organised by the Yaphi Legal Aid Foundation and the United People’s Movement on Thursday May 18 in the Central Java city of Solo.

“The ultimate success post-Suharto has been Suharto’s release from clutches of the law. Meaning it is increasingly apparent that the protests held at Senayan [parliament] in the past were not for reformasi, but only for a transition of power in the direction of world markets, neoliberalism. What should our attitude be in the face of this? There are seven issues, one of them is strengthening the movement by means of ending the disagreement between the progressive-revolutionary forces”, explained Aditjondro.

The disagreements that has taken place between religious forces, secular, or between mazhab [school of thought concerning Islamic law] and socialism were also taken up by Aditjondro. “Also the disagreement between red-and-white nationalism and non-red-and-white nationalism”, he added.

Taken all together, the seven points raised by Aditjondro on the question of checking neoliberalism, represent none other than the problems of the reform movement itself, which must be confronted by a means of participating in the movement to oppose Suharto’s release, not just his release from the courts over the corruption cases involving the seven foundations that he establish, but also opposing his release from responsibility for his political sins. (eki)

[Translated by James Balowski.]