Peran Strategis Pers DalamMemperkuat Ketahanan Nasional

TARMAN AZZAM, Prof. DR. Irwan Abdullah ; DR. Armaidy Armawi, M.Si

2010 | Tesis | S2 Ketahanan Nasional

Krisis moneter yang menerpa Indonesia tahun 1997 berkembang menjadi krisis multidimensi, menyebabkan meletusnya era reformasi dengan runtuhnya rezim Orde Baru tahun 1998, ditandai mundurnya Presiden Soeharto diganti Wapres B. J. Habibie menjadi Presiden RI ketiga. Krisis itu terutama tahun 1997-1999, pusaran awal era reformasi. Ketahanan nasional saat itu pada titik nadir, nasib Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI) dalam taruhan tetap berdiri atau ambruk sebagai nation state. Saat itu berbagai demonstrasi meletus, mencaci maki rezim berkuasa, menghujat Orde Baru yang gagal memakmurkan rakyat, menuntut segera diatasinya krisis dan ditegakkannya hukum yang keras atas para koruptor. Pemerintah pun limbung, tidak mampu memenuhi tuntutan rakyat, tidak berdaya merespons perubahan zaman, dan gagal mengatasi krisis. Akibatnya masyarakat kian kecewa dan frustrasi, maka meletuslah kemarahan yang menimbulkan chaos dan anarchy. Semua kejadian itu diliput lengkap oleh pers, tanpa tedeng aling-aling, berani dan gamblang, yang sangat dirasakan manfaatnya oleh masyarakat, terutama demi memenuhi hak rakyat untuk tahu (the people’s right to know). Namun sebagian pihak menuding liputan pers itu telah kebablasan. Mereka ingin pers tetap dikendalikan pemerintah, tidak boleh bebas, sebab kebablasan pers telah melemahkan ketahanan nasional dan dapat menghancurkan negara bangsa Indonesia. Penelitian ini untuk membuktikan apakah benar terjadi kebablasan pers pada awal reformasi, yang melemahkan ketahanan nasional, dan kebebasan pers akan menghancurkan nation state Indonesia. Dari penelitian ditemukan terjadi kebablasan pers, tapi tidak sepenuhnya, karena liputan pers sebenarnya cukup wajar demi memenuhi hak rakyat untuk tahu, dan keberanian pers merupakan cermin euphoria masyarakat. Hasil penelitian membuktikan berbagai kejadian yang menimpa negara Nusantara ini bukan dipicu ulah pers, melainkan akibat berbagai faktor non-pers, yang dapat saja menjadikan Indonesia negara gagal, bahkan negara bubar. Juga terbukti tidak ada nation state bubar karena pers bebas, melainkan negara-negara dengan sistem demokrasi, menghormati kebebasan pers, justeru menjadi negara maju, kuat dan sejahtera. Sebaliknya, negara non-demokrasi banyak yang hancur, seperti Uni Soviet dan Yugoslavia, karena pers dibungkam dan tidak mampu berperan sebagai alat demokrasi. Ketika pers di Uni Soviet diberi kebebasan oleh Gorbachev, waktunya sudah terlambat, sebab nasib negara raksasa komunis itu sudah pada titik nadir, dan akhirnya bubar. Terbukti, Uni Soviet bubar bukan lantaran kebebasan pers. Agar ketahanan nasional kuat, sehingga menjadi negara maju-sejahtera, pilihan Indonesia menjadi negara demokrasi sudah tepat, namun perlu mencari bentuk demokrasi yang ideal, termasuk sistem dan kebebasan pers yang tepat.

Monetary Crisis in Indonesia in 1997 has been grown to be a multidimension crisis which caused a reformation era blown down by falling of New Order rezim in 1998 followed by resigning of President Soeharto, repleced by Vice President Habibie. The crisis specially accured from 1997-1999. National resilience was under very concerning level, fate of unitary Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) which was being at stake, kept grown up or maybe had been fallen as nation state. At the moment, varienty of demonstration had blown up. Dozens of demonstrators were angry with the powered rezim. They screamed some bad state ments against them. They accaused New Order of failing making people properous and pressed them to handle this problem. Besides that demonstrators demanded them to take affect tougher law against corruptors. Unfortunately government did’t have capability to reach people’s demands and too slow in giving response to era change. They also failed to handle the crisis. Then effect of it, people became more disappointed and frustation so that it lead uncontrolled anger and chaos of anarchy. All of the incidents were covered completely by press without making consideration furtherand acted so bravely and opened. What they did was considered by people as something useful specially for reaching their rights to know. But, apart of people assumed that press’s action had been uncontrolled. They wanted press to be kept in under government’s control and said press could not act freely. Some people said that uncontrolled press in doing their duties had weakened national resilience and could make Indonesia to be a fallen country. The research intended for knowing rightness of any uncontrolled actions of press during new era which had weakened national resilience and could blow Indonesia down as nation state. And then research confirmed some uncontrolled actions of press but said that not all actions of press were like that, and press had acted normally for reaching people’s right to know. It also said that press’s braveness for covering news was mirror of people’s euphoria. Result of the research presented a proof that whatever happened or any incident in Indonesia that moment was not by press’s actions in covering news but it was because of another factors. The factors maybe could make Indonesia to be failed country even as a fallen one. The research also proved that no nation state which was fallen because of press’s actions except one having democration system by respecting press’s freedom which be a developed, strong and properous country. On the contrary, any on-democration states have had got troubles and then fallen like Uni Soviet and Yoguslavia. The condition was result of limited fredom of press in carring out their duties. They didn’t have capability to play role as a democration tool. When press were given freedom by Gorbachev, it was too late because fate of the giant communist country had been being under worse level. And then it was considered officially as a fallen state. It proved that Soviet was fallen not because of press’s freedom. To create strong national resilience and be a developed country with properous people, Indonesia’s options to be democration state is something right. But it is good and more important if there is an ideal democration with right system and press’s freedom.

Kata Kunci : Pers, ketahanan nasional, negara bangsa.