A year of encumbrances

A review of 1996 will show it to be a trying period in the history of our nation. In addition to facing a critical political moment, we were besieged by a host of urgent problems, ranging from economic disparities and social tensions colored by ethnic, religious, and racial differences to foreign debt burdens and a declining income from non-oil exports.

Making the situation all the more injurious were the many nations in our region busily readying themselves for the new millennium. The series of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits held over the past four years has revealed a rapidly dawning free trade era which will be marked by fierce competition.

We are moving toward the birth of a world without borders, as described by Kenichi Ohmae in his book The Borderless World, and will have to accept that the exchange of ideas and lifestyles among nations will take place with an ever-increasing intensity.

In light of all this it would be easy for us to fall into a mood of pessimism. We must not lose our courage. Even the great American nation is experiencing a convergence of crises, involving the disintegration of the family system, changes to the public health system, urban development gone wild and a rising cynicism toward their once revered political system.

We too would like to become a great nation like America. To achieve that end, however, a strong resolution and hard work to turn that ideal into reality is needed. It is with these simple thoughts we end the year, praying that this nation always has the blessings of the Lord Almighty.

-- Kompas, Jakarta