- Authors: Rachmad K Dwi Susilo
- From: Faculty of Social and Political Science University of Muhammadiyah Malang
Abstract:
Democracy is explained as the ideal political system in which all citizens could fulfill their individual needs. Besides, the State is obligated to ensure citizens? economic, social, politic, and environmental rights. Related to the previous statement, the movement of salvaging the water source in Batu Town, East Java, is interesting to analyze. Joining NGOs, three villages that are the users of the water source organize an environmental movement for halting the construction of the hotel close to the water source. The main figures of the movement are anxious about the potential risks of the construction. Here, the issue about the fulfillment of environmental and social rights and the practice of local democracy develop. Some research findings can be summarized as the followings. There are the blessings of democracy, namely: no violent actions and the utilization of constitutional channels. Unfortunately, the democracy also still leaves some shortcomings, namely: 1). the closeness of dialogue among the conflicting parties, 2). the prosecution of hotel investor, 3). the deadlock of the solution outside the court. Then, the factors that cause the shortcomings are: 1). the conflict of actors? rationality, 2). the conflict of authorities, and 3). the clash of game rules.
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