The Sultanate of Yogyakarta in Times of Uncertainty

The Sultanate of Yogyakarta in times of uncertainty

            The Sultanate of Yogyakarta is located in the southern part of the Island of Java, Indonesia.  It faces the Indian Ocean in the south.  It is surrounded by the province of central Java in the north, east and west.  Its territory is not large.  It is just a tiny kingdom but its land is very fertile and productive.

            Lately the sultanate has been exposed by the press for there was a dangerous eruption of Merapi volcano.  The area is also a popular tourism destination because there are ancient temples and living Javanese tradition like Batik.    At present the sultanate is in the focus of public attention in Indonesia since its relation to the central government in Jakarta deteriorated.  What’s seems to be the problem?  Let’s take a look at the following facts.

The History

The Sultanate of Yogyakarta was born as a result of political conflict in the kingdom of Mataram in the 17^th century.   At the time the capital of Mataram was Surakarta, central Java.  The ruling king Paku Buwono was not fully independent.  He was highly influenced by the Dutch East Indies Company that dominated and exploited the kingdom.  Prince Mangkubumi, the crown prince of Mataram, was not content with the situation.  He wanted Mataram to be free from colonial domination.  He became a threat to colonial rule.  Then the Dutch East Indies Company tried to eliminate him from Mataram.     So the prince and his followers rebelled.  A long armed conflict between King Paku Buwono that was backed by the Dutch Indies company on one side versus Prince Mangkubumi on the other side took many lives.  After years of fight a peace settlement was reached in 1755.  An agreement was signed in the village of Giyanti that divides the kingdom of Mataram into two kingdoms.  King Paku Buwono remained the ruler of Surakarta meanwhile prince Mangkubumi became the ruler of Yogyakarta.  He became Sultan Hamengku Buwono. 

When the British army occupied Indonesia in the 19^th century the Sultanate of Yogyakarta was attacked in 1855.  Sultan Hamengku Buwono II was exiled in Sri Langka and the kingdom was once again divided into two.  Prince Noto Kusumo from the Sultanate became Paku Alam.  He ruled over a part of the Sultanate that since then on was called Paku Alaman.

In the first half of the 20^th century an upheaval of freedom movement in Indonesia got a golden opportunity when the Japanese military was defeated in the World War II.   Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945 when there was a vacuum of power following the defeat of Japan to allied powers.  Sukarno became the first president of Indonesia and Hatta became the first vice president.  Soon they got popular support from almost all Indonesian since they had prepared the movement long before the proclamation.  The local rulers, the nationalist and the Muslim organizations were behind them.  Only the communist party was reluctant to support them.  Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX was no exception.  On September 1945 he made a statement that the sultanate of Yogyakarta fully support and become a part of the Republic of Indonesia.  He further stated that Yogyakarta would become a special province.  The executive power in Yogyakarta was in the hands of Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX and Prince Paku Alam VIII as the governor and vice governor.  Since then on leadership of the province is always in the hands of Sultan Hamengku Buwono and Prince Paku Alam.  The office of governor is inseparable with the traditional leadership. Today the governor is Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Prince Paku Alam IX.

The root of political problem

            The Reform movement that began in 1998 changed everything.  The movement was directed toward despotic ruler of Suharto.  His absolute power was a perfect breeding ground for corruption, collusion and nepotism.    The intellectuals, students, political activists organized a rally protest.  Finally following bloody incidents in Jakarta in May 1998 Suharto resigned after thirty two years in power.  The following year Indonesia successfully held a democratic general election.  The next democratic elections were held again in 2004 and 2009. 

            The idea of democracy is widely supported by the Indonesian people from all levels.  Consequently the wind of democracy also sweeps Yogyakarta.  The government proposed a new law on the local government of Yogyakarta.  The law stated that the governor of Yogyakarta must be elected by the people and it is not hereditary anymore.  On one occasion the president stated publicly that the local leadership must change.  Surprisingly the people of Yogyakarta refused the law.  They do not want any local election to elect a governor.  They organize rally protest and some people even threatened to separate from Indonesia.

              The social condition in Yogyakarta is really unique.  It is one of the best places to study in Indonesia.  Amin Rais, the prominent leader of reform movement is a professor of political science in Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.  It is one of the best universities in Indonesia.  Besides GNU, there are many good schools in Yogyakarta.  So community of students is an important element of the Yogyakarta society.  But most people, the common people are the majority there.  They are not well educated.  For them primordial bound is still very important.  Traditional Javanese values are still dominant among them including the idea of monarchy.  So for them kingdom is a must.  Election to elect a new governor is beyond their imagination.  Any violation to traditional values means a serious threat for them that will invite hostile reactions.

The need for a professional local leader

            These people do not understand and they do not want to understand the weaknesses of monarchy and the benefit of democracy.  They don’t trust central government anymore.  Any efforts to tell them will surely fail.    For them monarchy is the identity of Yogyakarta and it is nonnegotiable. 

            The neighboring kingdom in Surakarta at present has two kings. When the former king Paku Buwono XII passed away the royal family split into two groups.  One group wanted Prince Mangkubumi a new king while the other group wanted Tejawulan as a new king.   As a matter of fact the majority supported Mangkubumi as King Paku Buwono XIII.  Today he controls the palace of Surakarta.  But still some royal family members supported Tejawulan.  It is clear that in any monarchy the struggle for power will come up with emergence of two kings.  There is no guarantee that it will never happen in Yogyakarta.    In such a situation who will become governor if it happens in Yogyakarta?

            A king may pass away any time.  Sometimes a king passes away when his eldest son is still very young.  Let’s say he is still a student.  It means that he is not capable to become a governor.  If he has to work as a governor, he will not be able to do a good job.

            Patriarchy is another strong value in Yogyakarta.  Men are considered to be better leader than women.  The present Sultan has no son.  So when the time has come for his daughters to become a new king then there is a conflicting traditional value.  Again there is no guarantee that the conflicting values have no effect at all.  Most probably people will argue and even there will be conflict.

            There is no time limit in monarchy.  A king may rule for life.  If the king reaches the age of ninety and he is not in good health, he will not be able to work well as decision maker.

            Those are extreme conditions that clearly expose the weaknesses of monarchy.  Not to mention that in most absolute monarchy there is no justice.  The system works for the royal family only at the cost of the public.  The ruler will become burden for the people. 

            Since there is no trust to central government anymore, it is impossible for the central government to tell the people of Yogyakarta about these weaknesses.  It means that the person who tells them must come from Yogyakarta.  The people of Yogyakarta need a wise man that can do the job.  He must be capable to overcome wisely the delicate situation of conflict with central government.   Furthermore the local leader must be able to cope with problems of economics, global crisis, tourism, etc.  In short he must be a professional and wise leader.  Again there is no guarantee that all the descendants of the king will become a professional leader.

The need for a wise national leader

The problem is not only based on history but also on a statement by the president that the government will change the status of special province.  The statement of president in public is a shock for them.  It was a humiliation to their values, their tradition, their king and their pride.  The president ideally should talk persuasively to them before making a public statement.  The central government must prepare the mental psychological condition that supports a new idea rather than humiliating their values.  Today the public view on central government is negative.  They see central government as conqueror who does not understand them.

Indonesia needs a wise national leader to cope with the problem wisely.  He must be able to build trust first.   Then he must be able to help Yogyakarta find a solution to their leadership problem.   However with the present government busy with the economic and corruption problems it is unlikely that the government will come up with a wise decision on the issue of Yogyakarta.  The term of office of the present Sultan has ended last year but up to now there is no decision from central government.  The absence of firm and wise decision add further uncertainty to the future of Yogyakarta.  Buying time does not help to solve the problem.  It worsens the problem instead.

Uncertainty ahead

The ideal condition is when there is a professional leader in Yogyakarta who has not only traditional legitimacy but also advanced skill to overcome problems of politics, economics and social.  This condition must meet with a good, professional leader in the central government.  Unfortunately these two factors are very hard to find.  We have only mediocre leaders in a fast changing world.  Therefore uncertainty is the only certain thing.