Multicultural & The Absence of Government

Iris Blom (2006) based on wikipedia had given description about multiculturalism. It was framework to assert whether Indonesia is a multicultural country or not. Wikipedia wrote 'country can be called multicultural when the policy of government is aimed at stimulating the relation between different cultures in the country. A country is also multicultural when the inhabitants of the country respect other cultures and do not discriminate'. The government of multicultural country has stimulate peaceful relation among different the citizen background. Peaceful relation means existences of respect and understanding each other as way of life and think.

The government policy should be driven to create peaceful-sphere. The citizen guaranteed right to freedom without broke everyone rights. If the people are breaking the law, government will punish them. Unfortunately, government do not take an action to punish the illegally act. The impunity happen when the outlaw act illegal without punish. It means there are citizen above the law, and the government had already neglected. Peaceful-sphere should not be in opposition to right to freedom. Right to freedom must improve quality of community relationship.

Respect and understanding was able to improve the quality of community relationship. Respect means [a] to avoid violation of or interference with; [b] willingness to show consideration or appreciation (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/respect). It was related with peace. The citizens have respected the other citizen; they do not violate the others. A violation has not only about above the law, but it was unappreciated behavior to different culture or religion. The behaviors do not appreciate diversity within society. These are ignorance possibility differences that it could growth. The ignorance were failure create understanding beyond the different cultures.

The ignorance would support violence that it was violating right to freedom. These situation need government interfere to protect citizens. Without interfere, society would be chaotic. Law enforcement is keyword of government interfere. The other one is peace building education. The lack of law enforcement will be discriminate lots of people. They are feeling insecure and fragile to abuse their right. The trust level of the citizen would decrease because they do not believe their government.

The lack means absence of law through law enforcer or legal substance. Legal institution i.e. police as a representative government to protect and keep order the society do not present when people abuse of right of freedom. Legal institution was failed legal substance to enforce violation. They had not have sensitivity of multicultural or diversity nature. It excludes society nature that originated from many culture and customs. The commitment of government to obey constitution was questionable. On multicultural country, it was respected how government policy protect their citizen from abuse of right of freedom. The right has established on constitution ignore by government as one of branch of power.

Government policy should stimulate respect different culture and religion. It was include protect many kind expression of culture or the way religion ceremony. Respect itself has disappear, it was change by monopolize the truth based on different culture or religion. Monopolize the truth would disappear strive understanding different culture and religion. Understanding means have know and appreciative other culture (and religion). When there was no understanding, it means lash out diversity and denied Indonesian nature. The absence of understanding drives chaotic society. Society would distrust each other and conflict became possibility. Law had vanished dignity, the dominant one would take over power from the government. It means no more state. State has disappeared. The questions are government still exists but where are they? Why did not they protect the minority like culture and region?