Commemorating 57th Indonesian Police Day on 1 July

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given an award to Bali’s (Polda) Chief of Police, Inspector General (Pol) I Made Mangku Pastika in token of the latter’s crucial role in disclosing the culprit gang of Bali’s Black October which resulted in a death toll of more than 200 and resulted in the culprits being tried at the Denpasar Court of Justice.
The event took place in Jakarta on the occasion the 57th Bhayangkara Indonesian Police Day, 1 July, commemorating the establishment of the Institution of Polri (Police of the Republic of Indonesia), the first Head of Police of the Republic being R. Soekanto. The President also conferred similar awards to Australian policemen for their precious service in bringing the culprit into trial in Bali.
The Indonesian police institution has left behind a bitter history, which started at the beginning with the people’s revolt against Dutch Colonial Power. This was preceded with the birth of the Republic of Indonesia proclaimed by the couple of Sukarno-Hatta on 17 August 1945. Sukarno became the first president and Mohammad Hatta the first vice-president of the Republic. Nevertheless, the pre-WW II Dutch Colonial Rule argued that the archipelago remained the Netherlands Indies territory justifying the landing of the such-called NICA Administration.
The NICA Army came with its fleet squeezing the Indonesian republicans to a much smaller territory limited around Jogjakarta Sultanate in Central Java, while establishing puppet governments. Later a federal state known as Federal Republic of Indonesia (RIS) came to the fore following a transfer of sovereignty by 27 December 1949, minus Irian Jaya territory, in line with settlement formulated in a round-table conference arranged from 23 August – 2 November in Den Hague, the Netherlands.
In a political struggle conducted by republican deputies in the RIS Parliament in 1950, a union state of Republic of Indonesia (RI) came to the fore in place of the RIS federal state. The renewed Union State of the Republic of Indonesia also legally backed the 1945 Constitution at the end of parliamentary session to uphold basic principles bearing the Proclamation of the Republic on 17 August 1945, while later Mohammad Hatta quit his alliance with President Sukarno because of differences in political and governmental basic principles.
Such political developments left their mark on state institutions and apparatuses such as armed forces and police. Thus, the police force of the Republic since earlier time has been inseparable from the general trend growing on the Indonesian soil, certainly marked by colonial character left by 350-year Dutch colonization.
It seems that the Republic should spend a great length of time to reconstruct its police force firstly in responding to basic principles of the 17-August-1945 Independence Proclamation, and secondly to the following Era of the Republic, especially in relation the function of Armed Forces.
General Suharto’s government took to the throne of the Republic since President Sukarno left state leadership following 30 September 1965 at the end of a transfer of power process from the first President of the State to the general. Suharto soon reconstructed the armed forces under the banner of ABRI (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia) or Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia.
Following the President Suharto Era, firstly under President Abdurrachman Wahid and later President Megawati Sukarnoputri, a transitional process has taken place to exclude Police Force from its military character. This process seems still going towards a crystallization of the Indonesian State Police as a civilian force responsible in taking care of social peace, excluded strictly from military matter.
Thus, at present any question relating to social peace has to be linked closely with a general development of the Indonesian State and society, affecting more importance to the 1 July 2003, the Bhayangkara Day, as a historical necessity for the country. Then came such disruptions to the peace as Bali’s Black October and the Aceh Regional Movement for Independence (GAM) fighting for separation from the Indonesian Republic proclaimed 57 years ago.
Indonesian Government has decided to settle the GAM uprising issue by using a four-point integrated operation. The settlement consists of (1) military action against the rebelling groups, (2) humanity scheme to rescue civilians, especially those fleeing their homes to save their families and belongings, (3) giving amnesty to those surrendering by their own will to cease rebelling action, and (4) containing GAM revolt as an internal affairs.Surawan
Associate editor

“CAK AMATERASU”
Japanese-Balinese Art Collaboration

Cak Amaterasu”, as the reflection of Japanese-Balinese art collaboration, was performed last Sunday night (6/7) in Bali’s 25th Arts Festival at Cultural Park. This art collaboration is as a work section of “ASEAN Japan Exchange Year 2003” event. This art collaboration was executed seriously by presenting the Japanese artists; most of them are college students who learn Balinese dance at STSI Denpasar/Denpasar’s Arts School, and as the Balinese partner are the Cak dancers, who already capable in skill for staging the cak dance.
The Japanese-Balinese staging was enclose by a famous mythology of Sakura Country. It present the story about three deities brothers who role the universe, which is Amaterasu (the Sun), Tsukoyomi (the Moon), and Susanoo (the Sea Ruler). It retold that Susanoo is a sake (Japanese traditional drink) drunker with a violent behavior. He made the world become chaotic. For instance of his brother behavior, Amaterasu become sad and locked himself into a stone hall. Soon, the universe becomes dark. The Heaven’s deities persuade Amaterasu to come out from his hiding place. Finally, after Susanoo regrets for his guilty and assure that he will not do such of terrible thing, Amaterasu shown up and the world shine again.
Cak or Kecak is a flexible Balinese art performance. The art that appears on 1930’s is using a vocal musical concept cak cak cak that assembled in layers. The tourists often wrongly interprets it as Monkey Dance, may be it because the common presented story is Ramayana Epoch, which is about a combat between Rama – with his monkey’s troops – against Rahwana. Actually, Cak is open with several of lakon (story/main character token). I Wayan Dibia, one of Balinese choreographer who explores Cak for most time, already use the story, mythology, and legend of Mahabharata in several of his Cak show.
For the flexibility, Cak dance attracts the world of musical, dance, and theatre arranger. Indonesian choreographer, Sardono W Kusumo, already works for Cak dance collaboration in 1972 with the name “Cak  Rina”. Keith Terry, a body music artist from USA, 1990, corporate with Dibia, and produce “Body-Tjak”, collaboration of Cak with body music. In 1995, the Japanese composer, Yamashirogumi staged for a Cak that collaborated with several ritual Japanese mask dance.
Now, Chieko Komatsu, along with her fifteen friends of STSI Denpasar, tries to intercourse with Cak, the unique vocal and dance art. Beside the esthetic stimulation, this inter-cultural art also present the implication solidarity and peace. It appears from the collaboration approach of this framed story. In dance arrangement, Japanese element presents explicitly – language and costume –, but mostly with Balinese dance style. The story of three Gods in this collaboration is similar with Tri Murti of Hindus concept, which is Brahma (the creator), Wisnu (the cultivator), and Siwa (the slayer).
The peace message for the world that conveyed within this Japanese-Balinese art collaboration is not artistically emerge, but the effort of esthetic exploration starts to emerge gradually. It means, whatever realistic was the multiculturalism in this global era, the dialogue of art and culture will become more significant. Therefore, through the arts, the entire world nation will keep pouring the love for peace. (Kadek Suartaya)

Swiss Cows in Bali
July 15th – August 9th 2003

On July and August of 2003, there will be some 30-40 Swiss cows seen for the first time grazing on the ground of the Island of Paradise. These cows have been carefully bred in Bali, but with “genes” brought in from Switzerland. A group of enthusiastic Balinese and Swiss citizens residing in Bali, the Swiss Cows in Bali committee, have been responsible for the presence of these animals in Bali. These cows, after their first public appearance, will then be rounded and auctioned on August 9th at the spectacular Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural theme park on the Southern peninsula of Bali.

But, why a cow auction in a cultural park?
These cows, by the way, aren’t real ones. They are beasts made of Polyester, produced life size in Bali, but then made alive by the magic touch of the Balinese traditional and contemporary painters. Swiss Cows in Bali is an artistic endeavor with initial inspiration coming from Switzerland. However, this endeavor can really be claimed as the first of its kind owing to the fact the involvement of both traditional and contemporary artists of Bali who manifest their talents and creativity on these cow-shaped canvases.
Hitherto, the project assembles a group of most talented young Balinese artists originating from villages of distinct painting styles, art communities, art schools as well as individual artist. Together they have created a pictorial essay of the rich cultural heritage, magic and tropical beauty of Bali. A unique and stunning herd of cows never sighted before is soon to be displayed publicly. They showcase the various styles of Balinese paintings from the earth-tone, stylized wayang (puppet) figures of Kamasan; the bright and fun young artist style of Penestanan; the ornate, chiaroscuro of Batuan; the colorful, lush and fleshy style of Pengosekan; to the more realistic-naturalistic style of the academic young artists. All of them convey the vibrant nature-culture of Bali.
At first some of these young artists curled with apprehension upon seeing the task ahead—painting on these very unfamiliar grounds, irregular canvases in the shapes of cows. Nevertheless, after some extra effort of encouragement and motivation they stood up to the challenge; and at the end were pleased and pleasantly surprised with their works.
The Swiss Cows in Bali art project that is primarily aimed at promoting and supporting the hardly-publicized works of these highly talented young artists, unexpectedly receive much enthusiastic response from a good number of the more celebrated Balinese artists, the contemporary artists like Wianta, Sika, Jirna, Budiana, Karja, Supada, Darmika, Murni, Dana and several others. They, too, want to breathe lives into these cows with their brush strokes. In addition, joins force is the well known Swiss artist, the line master Stephan Spicher, who has been working in Bali from to time.
The survival and quality of the traditional Balinese painting styles to a large degree depend on the amount of support, promotion, and appreciation that the young traditional painters receive. The Swiss Cows in Bali art project along with others is committed to help those young artists. Hopefully the commercial benefit generated from the upcoming auction and from subsequent projects will enable us just to do that.
Images of some of these cows are currently surfing the net for promotion, whilst the real things are waiting to be rounded and auctioned at GWK. The public is cordially invited to attend this exciting event at the equally exciting venue.(I Gusti Raka Panji Tisna)

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