Better late than never<\/p>\n
Better late than never? Certainly, this is one maxim that is
\nmuch overused -- and one that does not always hold true.
\nFortunately, though, in the context of the current Indonesian
\nsituation there is reason to believe that the long delay in the
\ngovernment's readiness to consult leaders of the country's
\npolitical, religious and social communities has not at this stage
\ndone irreparable harm to the country's stability.<\/p>\n
Responding to growing public clamor for the government to
\ninitiate open and candid discussions concerning the national
\nsituation in the wake of the combined American-British assault in
\nAfghanistan and mounting public condemnation of it here at home,
\nthe government invited leaders of the House of Representatives
\nlast Friday to the State Palace for talks.<\/p>\n
At long last at least some form of communication has been
\nestablished between the government and the public, although
\ncertainly not everyone may be satisfied with the results. After
\nall, loudest among the demands pushed by street protesters has
\nbeen that the government take a firmer stance against the United
\nStates and its Western allies in relation to its actions in
\nAfghanistan. Some have even demanded that Indonesia sever
\ndiplomatic relations with the U.S. -- something the government is
\nobviously not prepared to do.<\/p>\n
As has already been widely reported, in her talks in
\nWashington with U.S. President George W. Bush a few weeks ago,
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri pledged Indonesia's support for
\nthe fight against terrorism in the context of regional and
\nworldwide efforts to stop this global scourge or prevent it from
\nspreading. This is not surprising, since Indonesia itself has in
\nthe past few years been victim to several bombings and other
\nterrorist acts for whatever motive they were committed.<\/p>\n
The government has also officially condemned the September 11
\nterrorist attacks in New York and the Pentagon, without, however,
\nmaking any references to Afghanistan or, to be more specific, to
\nthe Taliban and Osama bin Laden, whom the U.S. sees as being the
\nmastermind behind the September 11 attacks. Groups within the
\nIslamic community in Indonesia have since demanded that Indonesia
\ntake a tougher stance vis-a-vis the United States. Leaders in the
\nHouse of Representatives, for their part, have asked the
\ngovernment to \"pay attention to the public's demands\" -- which
\ncould mean, if one were to take the demands of the street
\nprotesters as representative of \"the public's aspirations\",
\nanything from publicly condemning the American-British attacks in
\nAfghanistan to severing diplomatic relations with the U.S.<\/p>\n
It is interesting in this context to note that the
\nOrganization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in its recent
\nmeeting in Doha did not condemn the American-British assault in
\nAfghanistan, neither did they recommend the severing of
\ndiplomatic relations with the U.S. Surely, the OIC can be
\nconsidered to be the legitimate, recognized representative of the
\nIslamic countries of the world.<\/p>\n
In all this, one fact remains indisputable. Throughout the
\ncrisis here at home resulting from the September 11 attacks in
\nthe U.S. and the ensuing British-American air and missile assault
\nin Afghanistan, the government has been extremely slow to react.
\nIt is also obviously lacking in good public relations. The
\neasiest thing for the authorities to do in such as situation is,
\nas always, to blame the media for creating all the fuss. To some
\nextent, admittedly, that may be true.<\/p>\n
It is also difficult to deny, however, that President
\nMegawati's silence on the matter is creating an impression of
\nindecisiveness, or vacillating on her part in taking necessary
\ndecisions. This, of course, is unfortunate. One thing all
\nIndonesians should heed at this moment of crisis is to put the
\nnation's broader interests above everything else. Also, some
\nserious soul-searching may be in order so Indonesians can see
\nthings in their proper perspective and act with insight and
\nwisdom.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/better-late-than-never-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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