National disintegration<\/p>\n
After watching TV coverage and seeing images of acts of arson
\nand manslaughter in Palangka Raya and Hulu Kapuas, my heart sank.
\nMy people once known as gentle and patient, have now become
\nferocious. Are they really bloodthirsty? This unitary state is
\nreally on the verge of disintegration.<\/p>\n
\"One State, One Nation and One Language\", the motto nurtured
\nand cherished by our founding fathers, is at stake. We all have
\nexperienced the joy of having one language, the Indonesian
\nlanguage. This is depicted when we travel across the country as
\nwe can easily communicate with one another. One state is an
\nassurance that no matter where we set our foot on this
\narchipelago, it is still our country, and last but not least is
\nthe spirit of having one nation that we have to always cherish
\nand keep alive in our hearts.<\/p>\n
In a unitary state, we must not take pride in the feelings and
\ninterests of our own tribe and region; we must regard ourselves
\nas Indonesians. The first president, the late Bung Karno stressed
\non the importance of unity in his slogan, \"united we stand,
\ndivided we fall\" because only through unity will we be solid and
\nstrong.<\/p>\n
However, during the New Order regime, groups such as the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Military Children, the Association of
\nMinang People, Gorontalo People, West, Central and East Java
\nPeople and so forth began to mushroom. This lead to divide et
\nimpera( divide and rule).<\/p>\n
Such a circumstance is being worsened by the establishment of
\nregional autonomy. Anyway, who was it that came up with idea of
\nregional autonomy? Its objectives may be great, but many a region
\nare not ready for it as human resources still pose a problem.
\nWhat is clearly rampant are cases involving money and position.<\/p>\n
Transmigrations, which was intended to be used to unite the
\nnation, are now in disarray because of regional sentiments. For
\nexample, people from Central and West Java, who have long settled
\nin particular areas in Aceh, are now being forcibly driven out
\nand left stranded in refugee camps. Refugees from Sampit had a
\nhorrible experience too. During the Dutch era, there were tribes
\nnotorious for beheading their enemies. These tribes were very
\nproud of what they were doing. The heads of the victims were
\nusually put on display. The more heads they collected, the more
\nrespect they received. The Dutch government, however, did not sit
\nstill. They clamped down on these acts of savagery by continually
\npolicing the area.<\/p>\n
What we have to do now is to foster nationalism, tolerance,
\ntogetherness and unity. At present we feel the absence of a
\nuniting figure; one who is wise, hardworking, has the moral
\nauthority and accepted by all walks of life, but expects no
\nreward for uniting his nation.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is now like a no-man's land. Its people have no
\nprotection, The police and the Army are afraid to take stern
\nmeasures for fear of breaching human rights. Take for example a
\ncase in Aceh when police took action, the President became
\nindignant. Only time will tell what is going to happen to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
MRS. IRANA<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-disintegration-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }