Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia

Compassionate democracy: Myth or reality?

Previously published by The Jakarta Post

Opinion, Saturday, April 26, 2008

Jennie S. Bev, San Francisco

Democracy in its simplest definition refers to rule by the majority, in which their voice determines decisions. In other words, this definition implies that minorities have very little, or even no voice at all.

While there are instances of “voiceless” minorities, interestingly, this may not appear to be so in certain circumstances. In today’s Indonesia, those belonging to fundamentalist groups – both theologically and politically, are rather small in number but have been loud and influential on the mainstream. This is both mind-boggling and hard to comprehend.

Does democracy truly mean the majority dominates the minorities leaving the latter with very little breathing room? If it does, is “compassionate democracy” simply a myth or even a legend? How should minorities react? Even more importantly, how should those who belong to the majority behave toward minorities? With those exceptional fundamentalist minorities’ strong voices affecting the majority, how should we interpret Indonesian society and its respect and acceptance of differences?

Ideally, democracy should be exercised carefully, because, without guidelines, it can easily be fertile ground for the distorted practice of democracy. After all, it is based on a very simple premise: the majority wins and the minorities must follow whatever is decided.

For politicians, this drawback is an advantage that can be used over and over, and which could eventually culminate in the politics of amnesia, a terminology coined by Terry Eagleton. And without careful democratic practice, compassion toward any group, and more importantly any minority, may not be exercised at all.

It would be saddening if “compassionate democracy” were merely an oxymoron, a terminology in contradiction, even though it would attest to Aristotle’s notion that democracy is probably the rule of the mediocre majority. Take the May 1998 tragedy, for example, when orchestrated mayhem by puppeteers whose faces are yet to be unveiled resulted in massive casualties. Many of the victims and survivors belonged to the majority. There was no doubt about that.

However, this orchestrated incident targeted groups of minorities, particularly those of Chinese ethnicity, by using symbols of the majority. The fact that such a minority group was targeted mercilessly did not appear to be of significant regret. An in-depth investigation and effort to bring the perpetrators to justice is still far from being successfully accomplished, because after all, in many people’s simple minds, the minority should submit to the majority. Isn’t that what “democracy” is about? Let’s think.

That democracy is “the rule of the mediocre majority” has been used as a weapon by those who believe that it is truly so. Thus, ideologically, it is a fallacy. Is it really so? For instance, this misconception has been used by fundamentalists of every kind to substantiate that their ideology is the best, as it would terminate such a mediocre system of government. Hizbut Tahrir has been advocating worldwide a caliphate by recruiting people in power and those who might rise to power. It is interesting to note that their number is very small in quantity, yet they are so loud.

The “upside down” rationale that has been used by some people for continuous politics of amnesia against those who belong to certain minority groups, such as those of Chinese ethnicity, is both cruel and inhumane. Chinese descendants have been stereotyped as rich and corrupt, thus any individual who belongs to this group does not deserve any compassion. After all, they are a minority, thus they must submit to the majority’s wishes.

It is also commonly heard that individuals of such resourcefulness do not need any consideration and when some of them behave unethically, fingers tend to point to the whole group and the whole ethnicity, not only the individual in question. And whenever there has been a catastrophic incident, either natural or man-made, those who belong to minority groups tend to be belittled with the argument, “We the majority also suffer, why not cater to our needs instead?”

In other words, compassion toward individuals of minority groups does not come unconditionally. Just like a raped woman who wore a miniskirt or a liver cirrhosis patient who “deserves” to be in such pain because of chosen lifestyle.

Being a member of a minority group comes with such double, triple or even quadruple standards. It is too high a standard for one to reach, even if the person is exemplary in many areas.

I find such a harsh reality for being a member of a minority group heartbreaking. Democracy in Indonesia has been tarnished by the so-called “equality dogma.”

Unfortunately, instead of the minority groups who insist upon equality of treatment, the majority oftentimes uses the “majority rules” doctrine far too often, leaving very small space for minorities to exist, or even to breathe, without having to bend.

Sure, a diverse society like Indonesia is hard to manage, but its size is, contrary to popular belief, very manageable. It is only slightly less than three times the size of Texas. And if most people think that the politicians have been having a lot of fun without showing any political will to make meaningful changes in protecting the safety and security of those who belong to minority groups, then it is time for all of us to shake the tree to its roots and demand compassionate democracy.

The writer is a columnist based in Northern California. She supports signing a petition for a new peaceful Indonesia at PeacefulIndonesia.com.

This article is dedicated to all victims and survivors of crimes against humanity whoever and wherever they are in the world. We are born as human beings with good balance of mind and heart elements, but for some reasons we have grown apart from our compassionate heart. It’s time to return and ponder upon what we have done to make the world a more compassionate place to live.

Artikel ini didedikasikan bagi semua korban dan survivors kriminalitas atas kemanusiaan siapa pun dan di mana pun mereka berada di seluruh dunia. Kita semua dilahirkan sebagai makhluk berbudi dengan unsur-unsur intelek dan afektif yang seimbang. Namun, karena realitas kehidupan, kita sudah mulai melupakan hati yang berbudi dan berakhlak tinggi. Sudah waktunya untuk kembali ke hati yang murni dan mengambil kembali dunia yang sudah semakin jauh dari perikemanusiaan ini. Sekarang, saat ini juga.

Note: Show our solidarity to victims and survivors of May 1998 Tragedy in Indonesia by signing the petition at PeacefulIndonesia.com.

Banality and Compassion
by Jennie S. Bev, San Francisco
Also published on AsiaBlogging.com

Modern lifestyle is known to be quite monotonous and routine. Many people work, live, and even breathe on cruise-control auto-pilot mode. Those who follow the rules are oftentimes stamped as “good gatekeepers” and those who despise and challenge the rules are known as “rebels” and “dissidents.” Just like a driving recommendation by California State’s Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), in which a driver must follow the current freeway traffic speed to avoid accidents regardless of the official speed limit, living has been more or less quite like that.

Living a drone-like existence might not be inevitable, but human beings are, by nature, restless creatures, who would need to find a balance between mind and heart, between righteousness and wickedness, between banality and pertinence, and between savagery and compassion. When it is time to choose, oftentimes theology comes into play. Without a balanced perspective between intellect and affection in understanding theology, which is oftentimes regarded as the “divine voices”, many people have been victimized by dogmatic elements, leaving helplessness and restlessness to widespread even deeper.

The phrase “banality of evil” was coined by Hannah Arendt in 1963 to describe the notion of ordinary people who have consciously or subconsciously accepted the premises of their state and participated actively without questioning the overlaying principles. A corrupt and self-righteous world that we live in today is a clear example of how the majority of human beings have accepted this concept without much reservation, or at least, without much contemplation on the true purposes of life.

And it is saddening that in this 21st century, in which humankind has proven the heresy by Galileo that the earth is not the center of the universe to be true, to hear from those who are fluent and call themselves “experts” in theology approving the killings of and hating our neighbors as if they were the only ones who are entitled to the world. Good thing is, we do not need to simply be silent and accept banality as the norm to follow without any reservation. After all, human beings are both intellect and affective beings. We think and feel at the same time and we have strong empathy towards others, whoever they are.

Karen Armstrong, a prolific author in religion once wrote in The Spiral Staircase (pg. 293),

“The one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express this sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God’s name, it was bad theology”.

And faith, whatever ours is, was designed to unfold our childlike innocent, positive, and upbeat qualities, regardless of our age and experiences. Good theology would assist in our journey to find our inner child. A child who is accepting to goodness and believes in the goodness of others and him or herself. After all, we were designed to operate on old-fashioned manual mode: by thinking, reflecting, and contemplating, not on cruise-control automated mode.

Whether you believe in Judgment Day, Reincarnation, or Nirvana, think before saying or doing anything. Those Neuro Linguistic Programmers (NLP) might call it re-wiring our mind through thoughts. Whatever you believe, do not disappoint yourself now or later. “You only live once, if you do it right, once is enough,” said the late silver screen actress, playwright, and screenwriter siren Mae West.

Today’s clashes of things, a terminology coined by the famous and, at the same time, notorious Samuel Huntington, might not need to occur in the first place provided that we were aware of the choices we could have made as the most intelligent creature on planet earth. And it is still not too late to criticize ourselves and to make amends when it is still possible. The clashes can and will be stopped because there are no other alternatives if we are to prevail as human race without being self-destructive.

It might be hard to criticize ourselves without criticizing others, but it can be done with awareness and peaceful opened heart and mind. Any preconceived notion of anything should not be used against our future, but should be consciously constructed to channel our inner wisdom. It certainly does not require a degree in theology to practice good theology. A simple common sense would do just fine.

At last, do not preach, just do good things. Be good ambassadors of our faiths and communities. Be aware and be mindful of consequences. And whenever you are in doubt, do not choose banality. Choose compassion.

Note: Show our solidarity to victims and survivors of May 1998 Tragedy in Indonesia by signing the petition at PeacefulIndonesia.com.

Air Mata Kami Belum Kering
Oleh Mutiara Andalas, S.J.

“Ya Allah, anakku ke mana, anakku ke mana, saya ke mana, ke mana perginya anakku? Ia anak laki-lakiku satu-satunya. Ya Allah, anakku ditemukan udah seperti kayak ayam panggang. Anakku, Mis, pulang sudah menjadi mayat. Aku minta pemerintah mengungkap provokator Mei 1998. Ia masih tinggal bersama keluarga kami seandainya para provokator tidak membakar Jogja Plaza,” demikian penuturan Bu Kus, salah seorang keluarga korban tragedi Mei 1998.

Merengkuh Kemanusiaan

Kebenaran mengenai tragedi kemanusiaan Mei 1998 masih tertutup gumpalan awan hitam kebohongan. Menjelang peringatan 10 tahun tragedi kemanusiaan Mei 1998, sebagian masyarakat menanyakan kebenaran fakta tragedi ini, pelaku kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan, dan akses masyarakat terhadap informasi sekitar korban. Negara memahami tragedi Mei sebagai kerusuhan politik, mendakwa mayoritas korban yang meninggal dini di pusat-pusat ekonomi sebagai penjarah, dan mengungkapkan kesulitan untuk menemukan fakta kekerasan seksual massal terhadap perempuan etnis Tionghoa. Akademisi politik juga menawarkan beragam skenario untuk memahami tragedi kemanusiaan ini secara komprehensif. Paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban Mei 1998 merupakan suara lain (oppositional voice) yang sering terlupakan, bahkan dibungkam secara paksa.

Tragedi kemanusiaan Mei 1998 melucuti kemanusiaan dan bahasa korban. Embrio paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban adalah merengkuh kembali kemanusiaan mereka yang dirampas paksa, dan kemudian menuntut para pelaku penjahat terhadap kemanusiaan mereka. Perengkuhan kembali kemanusiaan seringkali berlangsung dalam jeda waktu yang relatif lama pasca-tragedi karena trauma itu disintegratif terhadap kemanusiaan korban. Keheningan dan air mata menjadi bahasa utama paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban pasca-tragedi. Paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban seringkali menuliskan kisah mereka dengan abjad air mata. Suara lirih mereka hanya akan sampai kepada telinga kita jika kita solider dengan mereka.

Wajah Baru Dosa

Gustavo Gutierrez, salah seorang penggiat teologi pembebasan, mengundang publik untuk mengindahkan suara lirih korban. Suara korban memiliki kuasa mewartakan kabar gembira kehidupan (the evangelizing power of the poor). Air mata korban hendaknya mempengaruhi politik negara dan agama demi peradaban yang lebih manusiawi. Kita sering mengabaikan fakta bahwa mayoritas korban tragedi Mei adalah kaum miskin dan beriman. Paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban Gereja untuk melukis ulang citra dirinya sebagai Gereja para korban (Church of the victim). Mereka juga mengundang komunitas-komunitas beriman lain untuk mengeluarkan diskursus dosa dari belenggu spiritualisme. Kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan merupakan wajah baru dosa dalam masyarakat kontemporer.

Paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban prihatin karena negara justru semakin mengabaikan kasus mereka. Negara menempatkan korban sebagai catatan kaki sejarah Indonesia menjelang era reformasi. Ia bahkan menjegal usaha paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban untuk meraih keadilan di ruang hukum terhadap kasus tragedi ini. Korban meninggal di pusat-pusat penjarah dibaptis dengan stigma penjarah. Korban perkosaan massal justru didakwa menyebarkan kebohongan kepada publik dengan kisah fiktifnya. Negara secara sistematis hendak menghapus kenangan masyarakat Indonesia terhadap korban tragedi Mei. Tragedi kemanusiaan Mei mengalami pendangkalan karena negara secara sistematis menutup ruang suara korban. ‘Kerusuhan’, ‘penjarah’, ‘definisi perkosaan’, dan ‘Cina’ merupakan istilah-istilah politik ciptaan negara yang menggagahi kemanusiaan korban dan memojokkan mereka di hadapan publik.

“Bantuan atau ganti rugi ekonomi tak menebus kematian mereka. Saya tak pernah menjual kehidupan anak-anak saya….Saya berharap penuntasan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan. Saat ini saya sungguh khawatir akan penyelesaiannya…Islah tak mungkin tercipta tanpa keadilan. Kami menderita terus-menerus. Kami menjadi korban terus-menerus. Bapak Wiranto harus bertanggung jawab atas peristiwa Mei 1998,” tutur Pak Mamang capai.

Penggelapan kisah korban telah menciptakan keraguan, bahkan akhirnya ketidakpercayaan masyarakat terhadap kebenaran tragedi Mei 1998 yang dikisahkan paguyuban. Solidaritas masyarakat, termasuk komunitas beriman, tinggal sekerdip lilin. Masyarakat semakin kebal terhadap air mata korban. Kita memandang tragedi kemanusiaan ini sebagai persoalan paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban. Kita melepaskan solidaritas kita dengan korban dan tuntutan kepada negara karena merasa bahwa tragedi ini hanya merusak kemanusiaan korban. Kita gagal melihat bahwa tragedi kemanusiaan ini mencederai kemanusiaan Indonesia.

Paguyuban keluarga korban mengalami diri mereka semakin berjalan sendirian dalam memperjuangkan kemanusiaan korban demi humanisasi Indonesia. Perjuangan untuk meraih keadilan memang harus tumbuh dari paguyuban, namun membutuhkan solidaritas dari komunitas non-korban. Jalan terjal menuju keadilan korban menyurutkan langkah sebagian anggota paguyuban dan pendampingnya untuk meneruskan perjuangan. Kita harus berpaling kembali kepada paguyuban korban dan keluarga korban karena mereka merupakan kenangan terakhir kita terhadap tragedi kemanusiaan ini.

Indonesia Baru

Peringatan 10 tahun tragedi Mei 1998 merupakan undangan kepada kita semua untuk menciptakan Indonesia baru tanpa kekerasan dan diskriminasi. Kita menolak setiap bentuk perendahan kemanusiaan berdasarkan suku, agama, ras, dan antar budaya yang dilakukan atau didukung negara. Aparat negara bertanggung jawab mengusut tuntas tragedi ini dan mengadili para pelaku kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaannya. Impunitas terhadap pelaku kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan dan pelupaan sosial terhadap tragedi mengubur identitas korban pada nisan anonimitas. Kekerasan terhadap terhadap korban di masa lalu mencederai kemanusiaan kita di masa kini da masa mendatang. Keberadaban kita sebagai bangsa Indonesia akan ditera dari keberpalingan kita terhadap korban. Air mata korban dan keluarga korban belum kering karena kita belum solider, bahkan mulai melupakan mereka.[]

Mutiara Andalas, SJ adalah Rohaniwan Katolik yang menulis Politik Anamnesis: Teologi Politik Kemanusiaan di Negara Kriminal (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2008), dan terlibat dalam merumuskan petisi “Menuju Indonesia Baru tanpa Kekerasan dan Diskriminasi” dalam rangka peringatan 10 Tahun Tragedi Mei 1998. Ia kini tengah menyelesaikan disertasi doktoral Teologi di Berkeley, California.

Tunjukkanlah solidaritas kita semua terhadap para korban Tragedi Kemanusiaan Mei 1998 dengan menandatangani Petisi di PeacefulIndonesia.com. Ciptakan Indonesia baru yang damai tanpa kekerasan dan diskriminasi. (Setelah memasukkan petisi, jangan lupa mengkonfirmasikannya via e-mail. Terima kasih.)