What Remains of Reformasi in Today’s Indonesia
This week marks the 79th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. Celebrations will take place all around Indonesia, including upacara bendera (flag-raising ceremonies), parades in some cities, and festive and traditional games in local communities.
I was born during a period of widespread bloodshed in my country between 1965 and 1966. So, basically, I grew up under Soeharto’s totalitarian rule (1967–1998). Only after Reformasi (Reformation)1998 in my thirties, did I realize what true democracy is.
From my childhood to high school in Surakarta, Central Java, I had to attend flag-raising ceremonies at my schools every year. These ceremonies were a symbol of our independence. But even as a child, I sometimes felt disconnected, wilting in the scorching sun while standing firmly at attention. Several decades later, I thought this discomfort might reflect the anxious character of political reality during Suharto’s regime at that time, when the illusion of independence hid the terrible reality of an authoritarian power.
