Polri vs KPK: New Era of Citizenship?

by: Ika Karlina Idris and Wahyutama
ICR 2009,

The battle between police agencies and prosecutors with Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Indonesia, leads to the movement of a million facebookers support Bibit-Chandra (non active KPK leaders). After a million members join in these groups, they also move to the streets, demonstrating, to confirm their support. This paper will attempt to explore factors that motivate citizens to participate in politics through the Internet, especially through networking site (facebook.com).

An observed case is 1 million facebookers movement to support Bibit-Chandra from the KPK. This paper will analyzed, what factors that encourage citizens to participate in the movement? Does that motivation comes from civic values such as civic engagement (sense of responsibility as citizens) and political interests (interest in political issues)? Or is it influenced by the tendency of the new communications culture, facilitated by social networking sites such as Facebook, such as encouragement for Internet users to be more active in social networking, do self-actualization, and express their opinions?

In the end, the paper will try to reflect the future of political participation of citizens in the new media era. Will the new media encourage the growth of citizen political participation? What kind of political participation is produced? And how the prospect of forming an active and rational citizens, who aspired to by the democratic state?