Indonesian Students Association abroad: what is it for?

Twitter is currently buzzing because of this post by BEM UI (the Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia):

Among the replies, several were interesting, essentially questioning BEM UI’s legitimacy in representing all UI students’ views. Some said BEM UI should not be used as a political tool. Others even attacked the chairperson and took issue with the fact that the BEM UI chair is a member of HMI (Islamic Students Association).

In this post, I do not intend to discuss BEM UI’s critique itself – whether its substance is on point, whether its method was appropriate. What I find more interesting is the broader question of the function of student organizations. Should they be “politicized”?

Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Dunia (PPID)

Wait, why the sudden jump to PPID (World Association of Indonesian Students)? Heh, sorry. I have to admit that I was never an active student organization member. I was the kind of student who went to class, went home, and played video games. I am not great at organizational work and tend to be short-sighted. So I don’t think I have the legitimacy to talk about student bodies in general, like BEM UI. I will focus on PPID.

My involvement with PPID was one of the rare organizational activities I undertook as a student. But even “involved” is generous – I mainly helped a bit with research. PPID has a wing called the Directorate of Research and Studies, led by Denny Irawan. I helped him with economics studies. This function may differ a bit from BEM’s, but that is precisely what drew me in.

Anyway, this post is really about my understanding of what PPI is actually for. One thing that struck me was an article by dr. Rully Tri Cahyono, former chair of PPI Groningen (the Netherlands), titled “The Shifting Role of Indonesian Student Associations”. In it, he critiques the current PPI for being too “party-oriented.”

According to him, PPI in the pre-1920s era – when it existed only in the Netherlands – was indeed formed by Indonesian students to, well, “hang out and have fun.” Just getting together. After the 1920s, as more Indonesian youth studied in the Netherlands, PPI began shifting to a more “political” direction, coinciding with the arrival of Mohammad Hatta and his cohort. The original article is worth reading – it is quite illuminating.

His message was: PPI, which now exists in many countries and even has a “world” version, is reverting to mere socializing? He envisions a PPI that returns to the post-1920s spirit: active in social and political movements.

Perhaps something like what BEM UI is doing right now? Only Pak Rully would know for sure, but my guess is yes.

A More Activist and Scientific PPI?

I honestly don’t know how many people share Pak Rully’s concern about PPI being too “party-focused.” But anecdotally, I have frequently encountered similar remarks even before joining PPI. Many say Indonesian student associations abroad have too much fun and not enough substance. After all, we are a group of highly privileged individuals who should have a cause to champion.

I am among those who believe Indonesian students should contribute intellectual output or research in written form. Again, anecdotally, I have heard comments like “person X only posts vacation photos. They should be posting achievements. Publications. Conference presentations.” Regardless of the vacation-posting debate, I think these observations have a point.

Especially as a scholarship recipient. Who knows how many more deserving people could have gone in my place? I feel a moral obligation to take my studies seriously and perform well. I felt that, anyway. Whether I actually performed is another matter.

I joined PPID because I wanted to help elevate the image of Indonesian students – particularly those in PPI – beyond just socializing, and to make the scientific side more visible. An incredible presumption, I know. But hey, at least I wasn’t alone.

Oh, one major project we had at PPID’s Ditlitka was writing a book to be published through LIPI Press. Stay tuned!

PPI: For Whom?

But the most lively discussion about the role of Indonesian student associations actually took place at a halal bi halal gathering in Canberra.

In late May 2021, PPI ACT (Canberra), ANUISA (the Indonesian student organization at ANU), and Indonesia Synergy – an organization I am also a member of – organized a halal bi halal event at my campus, ANU.

This event, disguised as a halal-bi-halal gathering with food, actually started with a free-flowing discussion about the role of PPI. The discussion was very engaging and illuminating. If I had to summarize, there were at least 5 reasons why PPI should exist.

1. Student Welfare

The first reason that immediately came up was student welfare. This is the core of the question “PPI for whom?” As an organization formed by students, PPI should naturally strive for the wellbeing of Indonesian students.

Living in a foreign country, especially for first-timers who know nobody, is not easy. Several examples of PPI’s welfare role emerged: Mas Haly from PPI ACT ran a kind of “people’s garage” to help students whose cars broke down, especially when they weren’t near home. PPI Australia organized webinars with relevant officials on Back for Good procedures and shipping belongings back to Indonesia. My friend Riandy noted that PPI was the only organization he could think of to contact when first arriving in Australia – for information and maybe even pooling airport pickups.

Welfare-related activities probably garner the easiest support, mainly because student welfare benefits everyone.

2. Advocacy

The second role is still welfare-related but leans more toward advocacy. Gatra, also a friend of mine, raised this idea by pointing to PARSA, the postgraduate student organization at ANU. PARSA frequently advocates for postgrad students’ interests – such as pushing for affordable housing or helping students who feel mistreated by the university. PARSA even has its own lawyer. And despite often being at odds with the university, part of PARSA’s funding actually comes from the university itself.

3. Socializing

Although many like to mock vacation trips and other recreational activities, these are undeniably important for students, and demand is high. I myself once joined a ski trip organized by ANUISA (or was it PARSA? Or PPI? I forget) at a reasonable price.

Socializing is not just for the students there either. Many friends back in Indonesia seem quite interested in posts, photos, and videos of life abroad.

Socializing isn’t only about travel. It can include halal-bi-halal gatherings or other social events. It can also involve coordinating festivals with the campus or embassy. These activities are especially helpful for those who get homesick.

4. Position Statements and Activism

This is the role that, I gather, dr. Rully wants to see more of, and also what BEM UI is doing now: taking a stance on the Indonesian President. The feeling is not exclusive to dr. Rully. I believe many Indonesian students have a strong desire to engage in activism and take positions on issues.

Not only that, public demand for Indonesian students to speak up is also high. I frequently hear things like “how can Indonesian students abroad stay silent while the KPK is being gutted?”

But this is precisely where Indonesian students often diverge. Unlike welfare-related matters that benefit ALL Indonesian students abroad, position statements or activism do not uniformly resonate. For example, when PPI is asked to take a stance on FPI, Papua, Palestine, or Myanmar, achieving 100% consensus is difficult. If PPI issues a statement in such circumstances, the question arises: whose views does it represent?

This echoes some of the replies to the BEM UI tweet that opened this post.

Moreover, Indonesia today is very different from the 1920s. As a layperson in history, I can only speculate about how easy it was to build consensus around independence from colonial rule. But it is probably not hard to imagine that the majority of PI members back then shared the same spirit of independence. If you were a nationalist, your position against the colonial government was clear.

Today, Indonesia is independent with a legitimate government. Activism becomes somewhat harder because the meaning of nationalism is more contestable. Does nationalism mean always agreeing with the current government? Would the nation be the same under a different (still Indonesian) administration? Should we comment on colonialism by other nations? These questions make activism somewhat more challenging, in my view, especially given diverse educational backgrounds and experiences.

5. Advancing Research and Knowledge

The last role is more intellectual. Indonesian students are now everywhere. In Australia alone, they are at many different universities. In other countries there are certainly many students who, while within the same discipline, have different specializations, use different techniques, and are trained by different supervisors. PPI can serve as a platform to connect these young intellectuals and create space for research collaboration.

As a student whose hobby was going to class and going home, I actually find this function very appealing and potentially beneficial.

So, Which One Is PPI?

In the end, our free-flowing discussion did not definitively settle which of these 5 reasons best justifies PPI’s existence. We all got hungry and if food wasn’t served soon, things might have gotten chaotic.

We briefly discussed “levels” within PPI. Welfare-related activities make more sense at the city or at most national level. Perhaps PPID (the world level) is less suited for that. But PPID could advocate for broader issues, like pushing for an umbrella legal protection for Indonesian citizens abroad, or something similar.

Personally, I think which function PPI ultimately adopts depends on its leadership and cabinet composition. For instance, Mas Haly’s garage program might not be continued by the next leadership. Similarly, the book-writing project (arguably function #5) may not carry over to the next PPID administration.

Don’t forget that participation in student organizations is voluntary. Unlike PARSA, PPI generally doesn’t have a large and consistent funding source, let alone the budget to pay people for specific welfare and advocacy functions. We cannot judge people who join PPI. Are they genuinely interested in organizing? Are they altruistic and intent on helping fellow students? Or do they have a personal agenda? Do they want to use PPI for personal political gain and social climbing? Even if so, is that wrong?

And don’t forget, student activities can take non-PPI forms too. IS, for instance, was formed somewhat accidentally to serve an intellectual function because ANU frequently hosts visitors worth having great discussions with. Before the pandemic, our most recent guests included Bu Mari Pangestu, Pak Adrianus from Kompolnas, Prof Arif Ansori Yusuf, and Pak Burhanuddin Muhtadi.

Activism also does not have to go through PPI. IS itself has engaged in activism on several occasions when Mbak Chitra was still in Canberra.

So, what is PPI’s function? Why should PPI exist? Any ideas? Reply here!