Behind the picture of expatriates' exodus<\/p>\n
James Kallman, PT Grant Thornton Indonesia, Management Consultancy,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Bali bombings may have caused fear and panic among foreign
\ntourists intending to visit Indonesia, but they are not the
\nreason that the exodus of expatriates continues unabated.<\/p>\n
By their very nature, professional expatriates are not given
\nto sudden irrational changes of heart, for in general they will
\nhave carefully weighed the pros and cons before accepting the
\nposition in the first place.<\/p>\n
Nor, as some would believe, are they a mercenary breed
\nscouring the world for opportunities to enrich themselves to the
\ndetriment of the host nation, and ready to run off at the first
\nsigns of trouble. Many expatriates in Indonesia have lived and
\nworked in far more hazardous countries and conditions.<\/p>\n
For by and large, expatriates are men and women of commitment,
\na commitment not just to themselves, their families and
\nemployers, but also to the people and country in which they
\nserve. In most cases they have little to give but this commitment
\nand their skills, skills that they willingly pass on in order to
\ncontribute and upgrade the abilities of the people of their host
\nnation.<\/p>\n
Yet commitment must be reciprocated, and this is the major
\nreason that so many expatriates have become disenchanted with
\nIndonesia. They have no fears that the ordinary people of
\nIndonesia have suddenly changed from their open, warm and
\nfriendly selves into some fanatical terrorists with hatred and
\ndestruction on their minds.<\/p>\n
As has been pointed out on many occasions, Indonesia does not
\nhold a monopoly on terrorist groups; they can be found all around
\nthe world, those small groups of bigots and fanatics who hate
\neverybody that doesn't agree with their point of view.<\/p>\n
What the expatriates do worry about though is the seeming lack
\nof commitment among the political elite to unite and embrace a
\ncommon purposeful policy to come to grips with Indonesia's many
\ncrises, of which terrorism is but the latest.<\/p>\n
The prelude to Bali demonstrated this point clearly. For while
\nthere were those who took the warnings from foreign intelligence
\nsources seriously, they were severely hampered by others who in
\nthe interests of scoring \"political points\" declared the warnings
\nto be part of a foreign plot to discredit Indonesia. Yet in the
\naftermath, members of the second group were among the most vocal
\ncritics of the authorities for not heeding the warnings.<\/p>\n
In truth, the Bali bombings could have no more been prevented
\nthan the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Yet what
\npuzzles many expatriates is that they have yet to see Indonesia
\nunite in national outrage as did the American people. For
\nalthough the majority of those killed were foreign tourists, this
\nwas an attack directed against Indonesia and its economy.<\/p>\n
Already the people of Bali are suffering and this is likely to
\nspread across the archipelago now that Indonesia has been
\nclassified as a \"war risk\" country for insurance purposes. This
\nfurther diminishes Indonesia's competitive edge, making it not
\njust harder to attract investment but also to maintain
\nprofitability in many business sectors.<\/p>\n
The secret to tackling any crisis is to create confidence
\namongst the population that the leadership has identified the
\nproblem and has formulated a plan to overcome it. In the U.S.,
\nthe likes of New York mayor Giuliani and President George Bush
\nwere not only highly visible but also exuded a confidence of
\novercoming the crisis. They were action men, not just in words,
\nbut in deeds. Whether or not you agree with their policies, you
\nmust admit that they set the agenda and led from it.<\/p>\n
The people in Indonesia, expatriates included, are waiting for
\nsimilar leaders to emerge and take charge of the situation in a
\nforceful yet compassionate manner. They have been patient since
\nthe fall of Soeharto and the onset of reformasi, realizing that
\nsuch things take time, especially against the backdrop of an
\neconomic crisis. To date, they have seen few confidence building
\nmeasures however.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Indonesian people though, as guests, expatriates
\ncan always decide that the time has come for them to say goodbye
\nto their hosts. Sadly, many already have over the past few years,
\nthough with more than a tinge of sadness. For there are a sizable
\nnumber of expatriates who have been here, one, two or more
\ndecades, long enough for them to call Indonesia \"home\".<\/p>\n
Tearing up roots is never easy at the best of times, but even
\nharder for those who have married Indonesians and have families
\nthat know no other country as home. It is not a decision made on
\nthe spur of the moment, but the result of many sleepless nights
\nand painful days of a growing realization that their dreams can
\nno longer be fulfilled in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It was not the sudden bomb blasts in Bali that brought about
\nthis realization, disturbing though they were. No, it has been a
\nprolonged ebbing of confidence that Indonesia has the will and
\ndetermination to tackle its many problems head-on.<\/p>\n
But while many expatriates have already left, just to set the
\nrecord straight, not all have given up hope. They remain out of a
\ndeep love for Indonesia and its people, as well as in the hope
\nthat their confidence will be restored in Indonesia's ability to
\nsolve its problems and realize its great destiny.<\/p>",
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