TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The boycott staged by 11 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) against the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) is an acceptable stance. Formed in 2008, the BDF is increasingly seen as a yearly ceremonial event. Ostensibly, this is the venue where Asian countries meet to discuss problems of democratization. But the effects and consequences of the BDF on the progress and quality of our democratic life has not yet been truly felt.
Most notably, the case applies to this year. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the end of his term, wants to demonstrate to his foreign friends that during his administration he successfully built up democracy in the country. But the reality is not so. At the end of his administration, democracy has, in fact, 'advanced backwards'.
The NGOs that have withdrawn from the Bali Democratic process, are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill organizations. Among them are the respected Indonesia Corruption Watch, Kontras, Group for Elections and Democracy, and Migrant Care. From their point of view, Yudhoyono failed to develop democracy because he acted on two issues that put democracy at a disadvantage. First is the MD3 Law which made the winning political party in the elections fail to automatically become leaders in parliament. Second, when he allowed the enactment of the Local Elections Law.
Yudhoyono allowed his Democrat Party to walk out when legislators voted on the Local Elections Law, which determines that regional executives will no longer be directly elected by their local constituencies, but their respective local parliaments. The fact that he later issued a regulation in lieu of law (perpu) to counter the enactment of the Local Elections Law and that in his speech at the BDF he said his conscience sided with the majority of the people, it sounded nothing more than a sweetener. It is obvious that the perpu was issued only to save Yudhoyono's reputation at the BDF.
Yudhoyono's handling of a number of humanitarian issues has also been found wanting. For example on the problem of overseas workers, Migrant Care has often reminded the government that it was slow or negligent in providing assistance to overseas workers facing legal problems. Then there's the pluralism issue. Increasing members of minority groups feel they are unsafe in their own country. It's not just Kontras which is concerned about this. Frans Magnis Suseno once suggested to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF) that it withdraw its award to SBY in 2013 for religious tolerance.
The BDF has good intentions. This is where delegates from Asia-Pacific countries together share experiences and lessons learned. But the forum has become more and more official, and much less a voice of concern representing human rights activists. In the beginning, the forum planned to hold its sessions alongside the Bali Civil Society. But in reality, that will only start this year.
Admittedly, SBY loves to host international fora that would raise his image. Last year, he organized the World Culture Forum in Bali because he wants Indonesia to host something like the World Economic Forum (as in Davos, Switzerland), but in the field of culture. The event did not quite succeed because the concept was not clear enough.
The Bali Democracy Forum was once attended by such figures as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and more. This year, the VIPs will be Philippine President Benigno Aquino, Brunei Darussalam's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. As predicted, Yudhoyono was full of self-praise. This forum has become an anachronism because everyone knows that SBY, at the end of his administration, actually weakened democracy. (*)
