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Democracy in Indonesia -- Dogged by rebellion UNFASHIONABLE though it might be to say so, the contrast between Indonesia's turbulent change of guard and the orderliness with which power is transferred in India after elections highlights the difference between Dutch and British colonialism. It also demonstrates that, contrary to what some Indians argue, a presidential system is not an automatic guarantee of stability. The turmoil that Indonesia faced even last week was a warning of what happens when vested interests abort a revolutionary upsurge. Happily, the blind and ailing former president, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, found a face-saving formula to step down, but his initial threat that two or three provinces would secede if he was forced out was a reminder that the multi-ethnic archipelago of 14,000 (17,000 according to some, though only about 3,000 are inhabited) islands, which is also the world's most populous Islamic nation, owes its existence to colonial accident. Even Bahasa Indonesia, the unifying language in which Indonesia takes such pride, is not a nationalist achievement. It is another colonial legacy. Bahasa (for short) is the Javanese Malay that Dutch administrators used throughout the East Indies because, unlike the British in India, they did not want to spend money and effort on books, teachers and setting up schools to make Dutch the lingua franca. By making Bahasa independent Indonesia's official language, the charismatic Achmed Sukarno, who wrested independence from the Dutch, ensured Java's continued supremacy.
Approximate Word count = 906
Approximate Pages = 3.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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