RI lacks national discipline: Megawati<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Seoul<\/p>\n
On Sunday, President Megawati Soekaroputri lamented the harsh
\nnoise of democracy prevailing at home by saying that, compared
\nwith the national discipline and dedication she saw in visits to
\nChina and the two Koreas, Indonesians should feel ashamed.<\/p>\n
Megawati's week-long tour of China, and both North and South
\nKorea has apparently left a deep impression on the president,
\nwhich led her to ponder the current state of the nation.<\/p>\n
\"In any field without national discipline nothing can run
\nsmoothly,\" she said in a meeting with the Indonesian community in
\nSouth Korea at the Embassy compound during the last night of her
\nstay in Seoul.<\/p>\n
Despite venturing little outside Pyongyang, or breaking away
\nfrom official ceremonies during her two-day stay in North Korea,
\nthe president was quick to say that \"despite the troubles they
\nface as a nation, have immense national discipline, and
\ndedication.\"<\/p>\n
Completely overlooking the political nature of the regimes in
\nthese countries, she also pointed to China which, despite its
\npopulation of 1.2 billion, has succeeded in neatly organizing
\nitself due to these virtues.<\/p>\n
More than just praise for these countries, her remarks seemed
\na lament at what she apparently perceived as democracy. While
\nmany in Indonesia have equated it with freedom of expression, she
\nhinted that it had gone awry.<\/p>\n
Political aspirations, according to the president, have been
\nexpressed via ethical considerations full of slander and scorn.<\/p>\n
Discipline and commitment, in Megawati's mind, included pride
\nin nationhood, and its courteous manner. \"But now everything is
\nscorned,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She blasted those whom she believed had unfairly criticized
\nher government, saying that her administration had become nothing
\nmore than a trash can for those seeking a target for past sins.<\/p>\n
\"We've only just begun and haven't had a chance to do anything
\nyet, and already we're condemned ... How do you expect to catch
\nup to other nations this way?\" Megawati asked, referring to her
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Often criticized for being too docile, Megawati also took a
\nswipe at those who would misjudge her character. \"I'm criticized
\nfor many things, being too laid-back (klewar-klewer). But inside,
\nI'm actually hard as a rock.\"<\/p>\n
The president also suggested that maybe it would be a good
\nidea to review the number of political parties due to contest the
\ncoming election, since no less than 162 have registered.<\/p>\n
\"But then again, that's democracy,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She stressed the need for the nation to reach a common goal to
\nrejuvenate and organize using fundamental values.<\/p>\n
\"It is how to develop into a modern state, while retaining
\npopulist values, she said. \"We need to improve our image.\"<\/p>\n
It is difficult to attract investors, she noted, if they
\nperceive that the country is in chaos.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Megawati also visited Panmunjom village near the
\ndemilitarized zone on the border between North and South Korea.<\/p>\n
During her visit to Pyongyang, Megawati nudged North Korean
\nleaders to resume dialogue with the South. The proposal, she
\nsaid, was well-received.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, she also visited the Samsung Electronics Company
\nfactory near Suwon, some 50 kilometers south of Seoul. It is
\nreportedly the world's largest memory chip producer.<\/p>\n
Economics also played an important part in Megawati's visit to
\nSouth Korea, which is Indonesia's eighth-largest investor, with
\ntotal investments worth US$10 billion.<\/p>\n
There are some 600 South Korean companies in Indonesia,
\nemploying more than 500,000 Indonesians.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-lacks-national-discipline-megawati-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}