Die for my country today? Not likely<\/p>\n
Bagimu negeri, jiwa raga kami (For you, beloved country, our body
\nand soul). It used to be oh-so noble to die for one's country. At
\nleast, that was what I learned from my late grandmother and my
\nfather.<\/p>\n
My grandmother often told us stories of how our grandfather
\njoined the war against the Dutch for the country's independence.
\nOne day in the 1940s, the Dutch managed to capture him and took
\nhim away, and to this day we don't know what happened to him.<\/p>\n
Grandma spoke of grandpa with pride, telling us of the
\nstruggle for independence in such a way that we felt proud our
\ngrandpa was among those guerrilla fighters who gave their lives
\nfor the country.<\/p>\n
Father, too, told us of the Independence War with such fervor
\nthat sometimes we felt we could hear the bullets hissing around
\nus, making us huddle involuntarily around him in fear and duck
\nour heads to avoid being hit. Like grandma, he spoke of being
\npart of the war with pride.<\/p>\n
Back then, going to war -- being part of the struggle for the
\ncountry's independence, even to give one's life for the nation --
\nseemed an honorable cause. Everybody sang that song Bagimu Negeri
\nand meant it, each in their own way, big and small, militarily or
\notherwise.<\/p>\n
Things are different now. Everywhere in the world, human
\nrights and peace groups oppose the use of force in settling
\ndisputes. \"Human rights\" is the key term, much feared and
\nrevered, depending on where one stands.<\/p>\n
The war in Aceh has divided the nation into those who believe
\nthe war is necessary to maintain the country's sovereignty and
\nothers who insist that the problem must be solved through
\npeaceful means.<\/p>\n
Indonesian soldiers, meanwhile, are torn between carrying out
\ntheir duty -- keeping the pledge to sacrifice their lives for the
\nnation -- and the fear of being accused, even convicted, of human
\nrights abuses. This is especially because the National Commission
\non Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and other rights activists have
\ncontinued their campaign against the war in Aceh and made an all-
\nout effort to force the court-martial of erring troops.<\/p>\n
Rights groups' opposition to the war against Acehnese
\nseparatist rebels has only served to augment the trauma among
\nIndonesia's soldiers of the risk of wearing the uniform,
\nparticularly given the East Timor experience. The East Timor
\ndebacle not only humiliated them, but resulted in some of them
\nbeing convicted as human rights abusers. It was a tragic end to
\nwhat started as a call to arms to defend the country's
\nsovereignty, to perform a state duty.<\/p>\n
War is ugly, and it is everyone's wish that there was no such
\nthing as war. But that is wishful thinking. Even in our daily
\nlives, conflicts occur -- at home, in the workplace, on the
\nstreets. Aren't we glad we are not armed and are therefore spared
\nthe temptation of resorting to force in settling disputes at home
\nand in the workplace?<\/p>\n
The troops in Aceh are risking their lives for the sake of the
\nnation for less than the monthly salary of around Rp 700,000
\n(US$84) of the average Indonesian laborer. They are performing a
\nstate duty, which is to crush the armed rebellion.<\/p>\n
One may argue that it is their choice and they have to live
\nwith the consequences. Right.<\/p>\n
That's why I'm glad I'm not a soldier. I would never lay down
\nmy life for a nation that pays its soldiers a pittance and then
\ndemands that troops perform professionally. I would never risk my
\nlife for a nation whose government fails to meet its obligations
\nto provide adequate training for its troops.<\/p>\n
What can you expect from a nation whose armed forces allocates
\neach soldier 50 bullets a year for training, not to mention the
\nlack of other basic training and support facilities? Why, if I
\nwere a soldier, I would desert and say to my fellow countrymen:
\nI'm through, you guys better take care of yourselves.<\/p>\n
-- Sheila Putri<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/die-for-my-country-today-not-likely-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }