Jaksa Defenders Front<\/p>\n
Simon Pitchforth's article on Jl. Jaksa did little more than
\nperpetuate the stereotypical perceptions of this celebrated and
\nnotorious street. His whimsical portrayals of Jaksa
\ninhabitants indicate that he has spent little time talking to
\nthem and much time judging them. Since his idea of fun is to
\nbring his own friends and completely take over a small
\nrestaurant, I can only assume he prefers judging people to
\nmeeting them.<\/p>\n
Not all the visitors to Jaksa are tie-dyed hippies. Not all
\nthe expats are \"on the slide\". The ladies are definitely not
\nall \"dentally challenged\". Their smiles are wide and bright,
\ndespite their often tragic histories.<\/p>\n
The \"overly-optimistic blowpipe salesman\" also happens to be a
\nkind, gentle, intelligent, well-respected man who is always ready
\nto help a friend or a stranger. If it weren't for draconian
\ncustoms laws, he would sell dozens of his well-crafted
\nblowpipes at the reasonable price he asks.<\/p>\n
There is also a man on Jl. Jaksa who is some kind of parking
\nattendant. He is quirky, possibly autistic, and can speak just
\nabout any language you can throw at him. I have met a former
\nprofessor who now dedicates his life to picking up litter, a
\nformer hit-man who now teaches at a primary school, a foreign
\nmillionaire who lives in squalor alongside the railway tracks,
\nand many other characters who are drawn to Jl. Jaksa for one
\nreason: it is the only place in Jakarta where individuality is
\ntruly celebrated.<\/p>\n
Unity in diversity sounds good on a coat of arms or a coin,
\nbut where is it really practiced in Indonesia? Community with
\nconformity would be a more fitting motto in most cases.
\nThe sense of community in Indonesia is strong, and should
\nbe celebrated. But in this post-Soeharto era, with the nation
\nfumbling towards freedom and democracy, it is time to also
\ncelebrate the diversity within the community. Not just the
\ndiversity of races and religions, but of ideas and lifestyles.<\/p>\n
The majority of conflict in Indonesia is sparked by one group
\nopposing another, and there are so many groups (and groups within
\ngroups) that is impossible to memorize all the initials used in
\na single edition of The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The large groups shout while the smaller groups whisper
\nin darkened rooms behind closed doors. The voice of the
\nindividual with an independent viewpoint is barely heard, rarely
\nheeded, and more than likely to get the individual in trouble
\nwith the herds.<\/p>\n
The characters who inhabit Jl. Jaksa are not wearing it down.
\nThey are propping up the last bastion of independence against
\nthe forces that rail against it. They are people who took their
\nfreedom instead of waiting for some authority to grant it with
\nforms filed in triplicate.<\/p>\n
They are individuals working together to form a community, as
\nopposed to a community working to absorb individuals.<\/p>\n
BRAD BRYANT
\nMelbourne-Australia<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jaksa-defenders-front-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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