Rachel Harvey, Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament this week passed measures designed to reform the electoral system, but regular street protests may be a sign that many people are still not ready to trust their politicians.
On one recent protest, a group of students, many dressed in uniform yellow jackets and bandannas, occupied part of a park opposite the private residence of President Megawati Sukarnoputri. There were perhaps 500 of them, chanting and singing their opposition to the government.
The array of loud hailers ensured there was plenty of noise, but the protest attracted little attention from passers-by. Demonstrations have become an almost daily occurrence in Indonesia's capital city.
A few days ago thousands of people took to the streets to call for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis. Just last month, a series of protests across the country forced the government to rethink its plans to raise the cost of utilities.
But why, five years after adopting a democratic system of government, are Indonesians still so eager to take their grievances on to the streets?
People power "We've tried other ways, but without any result," said Samsani, a student from the University of Indonesia. "Direct action is still the most effective. Everybody should come out and protest if they want this country to move forward."
Not so long ago, expressing sentiments like that in public would probably have led to a lengthy jail term. For more than three decades, under the authoritarian leadership of former President Suharto, public protest was dealt with severely. But it was public protest which eventually led to Suharto's downfall in 1998. Indonesians, it seems, have developed a taste for people power.
Impatience The recent profusion of political demonstrations may in part be an expression of frustrated ideals.
Rizal Mallarangeng, director of the Freedom Institute, a pro-democracy think tank, believes people have become impatient with the pace of reform. "People expected democracy to solve all the country's problems but it's taking longer than they thought. Dissatisfaction is growing and that's why we see so many people joining street protests."
But that is not the only reason. Sometimes money is also a factor. Although rarely acknowledged in public, it is an open secret that some demonstrators are paid to turn out and protest.
Adian is a veteran of political protests. He reckons he has been on more than 600 demonstrations, supporting farmers, calling for religious tolerance, criticising the conduct of the military.
He says there has always been money on offer for those willing to take it. "In Suharto's time I was paid not to demonstrate," Adian said. "Now there are groups of people who rent themselves out as professional protestors. I don't approve of it; I think people should stick to their political ideals, like me." It is probably true that for every protestor who is simply there for the money, there are far more who take to the streets out of conviction.
On the right track Rizal Mallarangeng said that, on balance, demonstrations in Indonesia were a positive sign. "It's kind of like democratic growing pains. OK, so because of the traffic problems caused by demonstrations, it might take three hours instead of one to get home from work. But it's part and parcel of democracy, and that's the price we pay."
Democracy in Indonesia is still in its infancy. But the Indonesian electorate has grasped the fundamental principle of free speech with both hands. For the time being, people seem determined to exercise their hard won right to demonstrate whenever the mood takes them.