WHO’s THE LEGAL HEIR of THIS REPUBLIC?

By Endang Rukmana - the Winner of UNICEF Essay Writing Contest 2004
Translated by Inda Duzih Pikanen, Edited by Johan Kalevi Pitkanen

I am going to start this article with a remote place that is located near the city of Serang, Banten Province: Ciloang Village. It is a simple place, where the children of the village learn to read, write, draw, play games, and also to practice poetry reading and theatrical performances. The place is called ‘Rumah Dunia” (the House of the World).

Sunday morning at the beginning of March 2004, I was attending a weekly discussion at Rumah Dunia. The theme of the week was “Hud: the Lost Generation”. That day, they give me and some other High School students the honor to be spokepeople, or more specifically, to be analysts for a Novel entitled “Namaku: Hud!” (my name is Hud) by Fahri Asiza. Before the discussion began, some of the children of the village presented poems written by themselves, followed by a children’s theatrical performance. Eventhough it was raining a bit, the whole event was running smoothly.In my synopsis, I mentioned a weakness in the novel that for me is very significant, the diverse local issues experienced in the street’s. Hud (the main character of the novel) is a street child who thinks that streets are nothing more than thousands of spans of pavement that he has journeyed along. While on the other hand, street children’s issues and all of the problems attached to such a life are not significantly addressed. Thus, the story only brings an artificial impression to the readers and is not really thorough and representative.

During the discussion, the audience did not entertain many of my concerns. Unfortunately, the issue of children rights, especially the phenomenon of street children relating to the discourse of “the lost generation” was not mentioned at all.

FROM THE STREETS TO A COMFORTABLE HOUSE
The phenomenon of being “doomed to the streets” is one of many threats that children face. Other than that, there are still many more threats that follow children like an octopus that has many tentacles. Obviously this is not a mystery, tragedy, drama, or tear-jerking sinteron like in television here in our country. This is reality. We can see such problematical things affecting children, whether they are street children or those who lives are padded with luxuries.

Besides street children, there are more children whose lives are at a disadvantage such as: children who live in countryside, children who live in refugee camps, children who spend their time in jails, girls who live victimized by gender discrimination, children who have been exploited to work or even go to war, children who become victims of prostitution and the pornography business, and also children who become victim of any other kind of violance; including children who become victim of their parents’ ambition by the reason of “for the sake of children future”.

Meanwhile, legal protection for children in Indonesia is still very limp. Even though formally by the Presidential decree No.36/1990 (August 25th 1990), which states that Indonesia has ratified the UN Convention of Children’s Rights (KHA) that internationally prevails. The UN convention which judically and politically bound most countries defines children as “…every human who is under 18 years old unless based on local constitution considered that adulthood could be attained earlier”.

As an example is a case of pedophilia which daily Tempo brought up onto main analysis (December 7th 2003). In the opinion of Arist Merdeka Sirait, General Secretary of National Commission for Children’s Protection, our state is still very weak in dealing with threats by pedophiles, because the police departement arrested suspects based on KUHP (Book of Crime Law produced by Dutch Colonialism) which only mentions the term of “outrage”. There is no term “Pedophilia” in there. Therefore, the punishment to be given to the convincted pedophile will be unfair and uncomparable to all the torture caused by their actions.

“5% FOR CHILDREN…. ARE YOUR SURE?”
Here is an example of the Education sector, which is also contributing to the negligance of children’s rights. It obviously happens because of the central government’s policies that focus strictly and blindly on economic and political matters and interests. One example, is that the budget for National Education that’s mentioned in APBN (Annual budgeting of the state) ideally would be higher that 20%, but in fact the governement is only budgeting not more than 5%, the worst is such amount would be reduced by any illegal costs as part of a corrupt mentality within the bureaucracy. It’s ironic that it is happened while the ideal budget was determined and stated in the 4th amandement of UUD 1945 (the state constitution).

I simply imagine that the situation during the meeting to determine APBN, there might have been a parliamentary member who was chuckling while yawning, then suggesting: “For Education..well, 5% would be enough I guess!”. Then the other members–whether they realized it or not, felt forced (or not)–simply nodded, confirming the agreement, untill finally the Leader of parliament pounded the gavel.

Yes, the attention for children probably only goes that far. Thus, such is the awareness of importance of creating a proper world for children.

CHILDREN ARE THE LEGAL HEIR OF THIS REPUBLIC
When you read the book called “Fortress and Tyranny” that contains 2 compilations of Taufik Ismail’s poem, you’ll find one of his poems written in 1966 entitled “We are the legal owners of this Republik”. The question is, who is “We” in that poem? After finishing reading, I interpereted that “the people” is what he meant as “we”.

Anyway, what if the title a little bit revised, by changing the “Owner” with “Heir”?. Then it would be changed to “We are the legal heir of this Republic”. But then, who is “we” specifically?

Does it mean that the President of the Republic, the parliamentary members, politicians, who are the “legal heirs” to Republic of Indonesia? Are they the conglomerates and celebrieties? Are they bus drivers, becak riders, and street vendors? Ah, I guess that we’re all acclaimed that it is not them who become “the legal heir” to Indonesia. Then who are they? For me, I believe that it is the children who are the legal heir to Indonesia, since the children are our future.

The children are our future. That is the key to answer the question, the reason why we should be vigilant towards children’s problems. Yet, there are still some other problems like political and economic crises that seems to be more urgent to be handled.

The current data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) says that the population of children in this country has reached more than 40% of total population. This means that children in Indonesia have a significant percentage and are becoming a strategic group of citizens that will inherit the role to determine the future and development of this country.

For the next leaps, children will take the role and become the legal heirs to the development and future of Indonesia. On their shoulders is the fate of the country as becoming developed or underdeveloped. The children will determine the glory of the country or even its ruin.

Therefore, it is obvious that all players within the nation should pay significant attention to the children’s problems, and at the same time, we should work together to create a proper world for the children.

TO GIVE THE CHILDREN THEIR WORLD BACK
Once I got an email from Anggita Paramesti, a grade two Junior High Scool student from Bantul-Yogyakarta,Central Java. In the email, she shared her concern about children. She wrote, that once upon a time she was watching a children’s program on TV, and she saw a kid-singer singing a song called “Cucok Rowo” that was obviously a song of adulthood, moreover, the song lyrics were a little bit obscene. In her opinion, that kind of penomenon is also a problematic. For the sake of business’ interest, children are becoming victims.

A child’s world is a fun world; a world where children feel happy playing, joking, smiling and laughing. But then the world is entrenched by conditions such as: inhibiting school rules that are the parent’s ambitions in determining their children’s dreams or goals in life. A conflict of interest of political and ideological things becomes a disadvantage that impacts the flow of development and globalization that leaves no space/ playground for children to play. The greed and interest of prostitution and the pornography industry; including the interest of the entertainment industry.

It is obviously raising some questions such as : If the school’s rules and parent’s ambition are considered to be causing aspects that are impeding children’s rights and priveleges, then how do we save the children’s futures, to rise to become qualified children without commiting such grave travesties?

Everyone may have their own answers and their own ways to answer that question based on their own perspectives that obviously would be so varied. Anyway, it would be wise if we can reflect upon this very deeply and here’s an inspiring poem while we figure out the answer.

Children Learn What They LiveIf children live with hostility,
they will learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule,
they will learn to be shy.

If children live with tolerance,
they will learn to be patient.

If children live with encouragement,
they will learn confidence.

If children live with praise,
they will learn to appreciate.

If children live with fairness,
they will learn justice.

If children live with security,
they will learn faith.

If children live with approval,
they will learn to like themselves.

If children live with acceptance, and friendship,
they will learn to find love in the world.

(Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph. D.)

NATIONAL PARTY OF CHILDREN
At last, I recalled that Rumah Dunia was together with all the children in Ciloang Village. At least once in a week, or after school hours I usually visit that place for varied purposes. Just like one cloudy yet warm afternoon, I was at Rumah Dunia. Over there, again I witnessed a group of children who were losing themselves in a healthy way: they were singing, joking, laughing, reading, writing, drawing, making poetry and drama. I knew that most of the children were living in poverty.

General Election 2004 is coming. Then, is there any political party—those who passed or even failed the KPU screening—that will bring up the issue of “protection and guarantee for children rights” in their party’s platform? Is there any political party that will posseses proper awareness and pay big attention to the children’s world as Rumah Dunia has been doing?

Well, we’ll wait and see, I do hope that there will be some good people with sincerety and goodwill to establish a political party that is really going to fight for the children’s world and their rights—and will not be using children’s rights only as a political commodity. It is children who will be the legal heir of the future of this nation and state as well. If hypothetically there was ever a new party called “The National Children’s Party” or whatever it would be, I swear, I would give them my vote!

——————————————————-

*) This Essay has won the “Unicef Award for Indonesian Young Writers” 2004. At the time, the writer was a third year Senior High School student (SMU NEgeri 1-Serang). Currently, he is stydying History at the University of Indonesia.

*) Photo: Endang Rukmna in action.