Happy, safe holiday<\/p>\n
Unmindful of updated travel advisories, holidaymakers from
\nAustralia headed to Bali last week. Visitors from other countries
\nare also opting to go through their plans, having booked flights
\nand accommodation a few months in advance.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, residents in the nation's major cities may well
\nhave bought tickets to gala dinners at luxury venues for
\nChristmas and New Year's Eve, in spite of recent terror warnings
\nconcerning five-star hotels.<\/p>\n
The little free time that modern life offers, it seems, is too
\nprecious for many a person stressed out from the daily grind to
\nwaste on worrying over whether staying at home would be safer.<\/p>\n
Hotel and airline management have reported only a small number
\nof cancellations following the warnings issued by the governments
\nof at least Australia, Britain and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
That the majority of holidaymakers are going ahead with their
\nplans may also attest to a general trust and confidence in
\nsecurity measures taken by hotels and airlines in cooperation
\nwith the police.<\/p>\n
Such determination is observed every holiday season, even
\nbefore the advent of this so-called era of global terrorism. Of
\ncourse, even without terrorist threats, police and hospitals are
\non stand by, ready to deploy the moment a merry outing turns into
\nan accident, a tragedy.<\/p>\n
In recent years, however, as the main suspects of past bombing
\ncases remain at large, families face an extra concern as to
\nwhether going to Christmas Mass will be safe from bomb attacks.
\nIn addition, following reports that nine packages of explosives
\nwere found on an intercity bus in West Java, travelers must also
\nwatch out for suspicious-looking packages.<\/p>\n
Such developments leave us with the chilling prospect that the
\nauthorities may have greater difficulty in unraveling and
\nstopping terrorist threats.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the police and other security forces have the
\nfull support of the public -- who willingly submit to security
\nchecks on cars and bags on a daily basis at public venues.<\/p>\n
Such trust means abandoning the status quo of intelligence and
\npolice officers as established under the New Order -- those much
\nresented \"officers of the law\" who harassed, abused and
\ntraumatized civilians in the narrowly and oppressively defined
\n\"stability and security\" of those days; their own breed of
\nterror.<\/p>\n
Armed with this newfound public trust, it is hoped that the
\npeople in charge will do an even better job this season in
\nkeeping us safe, as this trust also means a constant expectation
\nfor results: The public expects to see proof of security forces'
\nability to deny any more victims to evil.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, reports that the top terrorist suspects in the
\ncountry had escaped capture through bribery has left people
\nwondering about basic law enforcement coordination in the face of
\nvery grave -- and, we are told, continuing -- threats.
\nApparently, the traffic officers did not recognize the two
\nMalaysian bomb-makers they had stopped for a routine violation,
\nshortly before an explosion tore through buildings on either side
\nof the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in September.<\/p>\n
Our appreciation and support go out to all those officers who
\nwill be on duty over the next few days and so be unable to spend
\ntime with their loved ones for the holiday.<\/p>\n
At the same time, public support of security measures also
\nmeans sharing the responsibility by tending to our own safety
\nbefore hitting the road -- turning off all electrical appliances,
\nchecking the gas stove, locking all doors and windows, and other
\ncommonsense things.<\/p>\n
We wish all of our readers a happy and safe holiday.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/happy-safe-holiday-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }