In the loving memory of President BJ Habibie (1936-2019)

BJ Habibie, Indonesia's third president (1998-1999)

Indonesia, led by President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, has promised since 2018 to conduct a dialog with United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and provide an opportunity for the UN Human Rights Commision to visit West Papua. 

But looking at the facts of the last five years, what has happened on the ground is military operations and efforts to silence democratic space in West Papua. Of the many presidents who have led Indonesia, it seems that only BJ Habibie was truly honest and fair. Appointed as transitional head of state after the fall of the Suharto military regime in May 1998, President Habibie only served for a year and a half. However, he was able to make very significant changes in the journey of the Indonesian nation.

As an important figure of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI), President Habibie was often mistaken for an Islamist politician. But history records that Habibie was a reliable statesman. As a true democrat, he prioritized humanity before national sentiment. This was proven by his openness to holding a referendum in 1999 in East Timor, which led to the release of this Indonesian colony three years later.

Habibie was also one of two Indonesian presidents who dared to engage in true dialog with West Papuan independence leaders. West Papua is occupied by Indonesia since May 1963. In February 1999, Habibie received a delegation of one hundred Papuan leaders at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. This historical moment is unique.

Towards the end of his life, Habibie was often seen hanging out with public figures from minority groups such as Father Frans Magnis Suseno, a German Jesuit missionary who lived in Indonesia for more than sixty years. Father Magnis is very critical of the Indonesian regime in Papua. In his book entitled "Nationality, Democracy, Pluralism A Compendium of Actual Political Ethics" published in 2015, he said: "The situation in Papua is ugly, abnormal, uncivilized, and shameful, therefore it is closed to foreign media. Papua is a festering wound on the body of the Indonesian nation...we will be exposed in the civilized world, as a barbaric nation, a nation of killers of Papuans, even though no weapons are used."

Father Magnis did not hesitate to express his admiration for the Indonesia's third president. He said in an interview with KOMPAS newspaper: "For me, Mr. Habibie is one of the most important, most impressive and most admirable people I have ever met in my life."

Indeed, President Habibie was a great leader. He laid new foundations in Indonesia's democratic system. Unfortunately, these foundations were stripped away bit by bit by Indonesia's subsequent rulers. Habibie, an engineer who graduated from Aachen University in Germany, was also an innovative visionary. While serving as minister during Suharto's presidency, he managed to establish a number of civil aviation projects in Indonesia.

Today, Indonesia is preparing for the 2024 elections. Will the Indonesian people be able to choose a just leader? Will a new Habibie emerge in Indonesia?