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Fri, May 25, 2012
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State Says Pancasila the Answer to Radicalism
Camelia Pasandaran & Arientha Primanita | May 24, 2011

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, center, and Vice President Boediono, to his left, pose together with leaders of state institutions that on Tuesday vowed to throw their weight behind renewed efforts at strengthening the state ideology of Pancasila. The move was deemed necessary to prevent radical Islamic thought from gaining a stronger foothold. (JG Photo/Safir Makki) President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, center, and Vice President Boediono, to his left, pose together with leaders of state institutions that on Tuesday vowed to throw their weight behind renewed efforts at strengthening the state ideology of Pancasila. The move was deemed necessary to prevent radical Islamic thought from gaining a stronger foothold. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)
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In response to rising Islamic radicalism in the country, the heads of eight leading state institutions agreed on Tuesday to do more to promote the values of Pancasila, the state ideology.

Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud M.D., reading from a joint statement issued by the institutions, said all were committed to “actively strengthening Pancasila as the nation’s ideology according to their specific roles, positions and authorities.”

“We need a national action plan for certain institutions to promote and strengthen the values of Pancasila formally through education,” he said.

Among the institutions backing the call were the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Judicial Commission and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

The others were the State Palace, the House of Representatives, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Mahfud said there was a worrying trend in the country of people neglecting Pancasila, which calls for a just and civilized society as well as respect for democracy.

“As a result, as the nation makes great strides in political democracy, some problems threatening the national pillars have surfaced,” he said.

“Conflict and violence are now easily triggered by ethnic, tribal and religious differences. The politeness and tolerance that formed the original character of the nation are now fading as a result of [radical indoctrination] and selfishness.”

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was present at the reading of the statement at the Constitutional Court, did not take the opportunity to speak.

Prior to the event, he hosted a delegation from the MPR at the palace, where they discussed fears that widespread ignorance of Pancasila and the state motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika — Unity in Diversity — was responsible for a worrying increase recently in violent incidents and terrorist activity.

The MPR officials proposed that an institution be set up to promote the teaching and practice of these values in people’s daily lives.

The MPR delegation also met with Mahfud at the Constitutional Court to raise the same issue.

In that discussion, the chief justice said that in addition to promoting Pancasila, more needed to be done to better understand why Indonesians were moving away from these core values and toward less tolerant beliefs and ways of thinking.

As part of efforts to promote Pancasila, Education Minister Muhammad Nuh announced recently that the school curriculum would include special lessons on the subject starting from the 2012 academic year.