President SBY might forget he has hurt people's sense of justice

Kornelius Purba ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 10/31/2009 1:13 PM  |  Headlines

The former president Soeharto, and the cruel faces of his top confidants in his Cabinet, jeered at me on Friday while I watched a live broadcast of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a press conference. At the conference, he gave a perfect technical explanation about his view on the arrest of two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

What I saw was the "ghost" of dictatorship on the TV screen. Soeharto haunted me during Yudhoyono's media briefing.

What I watched Friday not so much the President of the world's third largest democracy, but more the leader of one of the world's most corrupt nations. Yudhoyono has potentially damaged his reputation as a credible leader who won the majority support from voters in the July presidential election.

National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri's press conference, which was broadcast after Yudhoyono's, on the same issue, was not much different.

Just ask ordinary Indonesians how they describe the police, I think many of them will share my thoughts about the state institution. Right or wrong, I often feel uneasy anytime a policeman is near. Are there only few people who share this fear about state officers with me?

Yudhoyono was right when he said justice should apply even to the KPK deputies who were detained by the police Thursday.

Technically and legally Yudhoyono was right. But what Yudhoyono appears to have forgotten is a sense of justice. Many Indonesians were upset by Yudhoyono *s stance on the KPK controversy, right or wrong. And public discontent toward police arrogance and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) holds much more weight than Yudhoyono citing his position was "no position".

Yudhoyono might not know the case of corruption suspect Anggoro's tapped conversation transcript had been widely circulated. Yudhoyono perhaps was unaware a tapped conversation transcript - allegedly by a senior police general - on the Bank Century bailout had been common knowledge among the public.

Even less-educated Indonesians could smell something fishy when the two KPK officials were arrested.

To be honest, I saw a different side to Yudhoyono during the media briefing. He is no longer the President who firmly supported the KPK's decision to jail the father-in-law of his eldest son, Agus Harimurti. He is no longer the President who proudly announced his determination to continue the war against corruption.

Yudhoyono knows he won major praise from world leaders and international media for his success in significantly helping eradicate corruption.Does Yudhoyono forget he and his Democratic Party won landslide victories in the presidential and legislative elections because of his corruption success stories?

I am sure Yudhoyono knows very well it was the KPK that played a major - if not the largest - role in his success. And now why has the KPK become public enemy No. 1?

I do apologize to Yudhoyono if he is offended at being compared to Soeharto.

As a journalist who covered Soeharto for quite a long time, I found he was genius in citing laws, the Constitution, government regulations and his own regulations to justify his brutal acts against his critics and defend corrupt officials and his children's businesses. Soeharto did not care for justice, because he believed he was justice. In 1989, Soeharto threatened to "clobber" his critics who wanted him to step down.

Soeharto's ministers also often heartlessly defended gross human rights violations and corruption. At the time, the corrupt officials were lucky because they could do anything they liked in a country with law and justice in the hands of its rulers.

The times have changed. Yu-dhoyono's coalition now controls the House of Representatives.

But many fear with a poor system of checks and balances, Soeharto's era will repeat itself. The government has become too strong and will become much less tolerant of its critics.

Yudhoyono needs to know many Indonesians may be upset with his stance on the KPK case. And it will be damaging for him not only domestically but internationally. However, for corrupt officials, Yu-dhoyono's stance is something to celebrate.

I am very sorry, my President, for these harsh comments. I am just afraid you are changing.

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Ananto Prabowo (not verified), Jakarta — Sun, 11/01/2009 - 9:33pm

dear Mr. President, i think that this matter should have more of your attention because this two institution have important task to do. If Mr. President can accelerated this matter than this two institution will soon can operate to do their job, which is a very important job. But if not, than your silence will be a big question mark to the people.

Fuadi (not verified), Germany — Sun, 11/01/2009 - 7:16am

My deepest condolesence for the act of our President. He's the President who always want to be looked a nice and acceptable by all. At the end he always try to compromise with other parties even when he arrange his Cabinet.. Now his stupid comment during the conference press that questioning the legal basis for this case give question mark while there are huge scenario behinds.. Maybe at the end the case will pointing at himself or his family. Should we rally on street asking house of representative for impeachment only after one month of his second Presidential term.. There will be a history and he will be part of the hostory as the President who only care about his appearance in public.. Stupid President !!!!

Tami Koestomo — Sat, 10/31/2009 - 2:57pm

Tami Koestomo Thank you, Mr. Kornelius Purba, for so accurately and courageously putting in writing the very thoughts that are on the minds of all of us Indonesians who are becoming increasingly alarmed and apprehensive about the way things are going in our country. I, too, voted for the re-election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as, at that time, I honestly believed that he was truly a man of honor, a man worthy of admiration. When I voted for him (and this makes it the second time), I also believed that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would have sufficient sterling character and the required great courage to ruthlessly eradicate corruption, injustice, and appalling human rights violations. Like many fellow Indonesians who voted for him, I, too, was aghast and extremely disappointed upon hearing the President’s Friday afternoon speech on October 30 about his view on the arrest of two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah. Quantum mutatus ab illo: how changed is he from him whom we know. This makes me very sad indeed. The “perfect technical explanation” he gave may be a sign that the President seeks a safe way out, thereby, to all intents and purposes, sacrificing the two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah and throwing them to the wolves. This is, without a doubt, a terrible miscarriage of justice, which all who were knowingly involved in it will one day bitterly regret. Like many of my fellow Indonesians, and non-Indonesians too, I am plagued by the following questions: Why does the President seek a safe, and in my eyes, less than honorable, way out? Who is, or are, he and the Police protecting? What interests are being protected here? Why haven’t the National Police Chief Gen.Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Chief Detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji resigned, and revealed the truth and the absolute truth, as real honorable gentlemen with sterling characters would do? Perhaps this is too much to ask of them? I would really detest eventually having to say, along with the ancient Roman poet Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), whom I quoted previously: “Disce omnes– from one piece of villainy judge them all.” Having seen many times in the past that the ancient proverb: “Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat”: “Whom God wants to destroy, He first makes mad” has horrific ways of coming true, I sincerely hope that all those involved in the shameful and unjust treatment of Bapak Bibit and Bapak Chandra will eventually see the light, and do what is right in God’s Eyes – before it’s too late and our country’s honor has deteriorated too far in the world’s eyes to be retrieved. Fellow Readers of The Jakarta Post, please, let us all fervently pray to God and ask that the two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, as well as their deeply suffering families and friends, will emerge from this ordeal alive and well, with their sanity and all of their honestly gotten gains still intact. Tami Koestomo, Bogor.

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