Behind the picture of expatriates' exodus

James Kallman, PT Grant Thornton Indonesia, Management Consultancy, Jakarta

The Bali bombings may have caused fear and panic among foreign tourists intending to visit Indonesia, but they are not the reason that the exodus of expatriates continues unabated.

By their very nature, professional expatriates are not given to sudden irrational changes of heart, for in general they will have carefully weighed the pros and cons before accepting the position in the first place.

Nor, as some would believe, are they a mercenary breed scouring the world for opportunities to enrich themselves to the detriment of the host nation, and ready to run off at the first signs of trouble. Many expatriates in Indonesia have lived and worked in far more hazardous countries and conditions.

For by and large, expatriates are men and women of commitment, a commitment not just to themselves, their families and employers, but also to the people and country in which they serve. In most cases they have little to give but this commitment and their skills, skills that they willingly pass on in order to contribute and upgrade the abilities of the people of their host nation.

Yet commitment must be reciprocated, and this is the major reason that so many expatriates have become disenchanted with Indonesia. They have no fears that the ordinary people of Indonesia have suddenly changed from their open, warm and friendly selves into some fanatical terrorists with hatred and destruction on their minds.

As has been pointed out on many occasions, Indonesia does not hold a monopoly on terrorist groups; they can be found all around the world, those small groups of bigots and fanatics who hate everybody that doesn't agree with their point of view.

What the expatriates do worry about though is the seeming lack of commitment among the political elite to unite and embrace a common purposeful policy to come to grips with Indonesia's many crises, of which terrorism is but the latest.

The prelude to Bali demonstrated this point clearly. For while there were those who took the warnings from foreign intelligence sources seriously, they were severely hampered by others who in the interests of scoring "political points" declared the warnings to be part of a foreign plot to discredit Indonesia. Yet in the aftermath, members of the second group were among the most vocal critics of the authorities for not heeding the warnings.

In truth, the Bali bombings could have no more been prevented than the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Yet what puzzles many expatriates is that they have yet to see Indonesia unite in national outrage as did the American people. For although the majority of those killed were foreign tourists, this was an attack directed against Indonesia and its economy.

Already the people of Bali are suffering and this is likely to spread across the archipelago now that Indonesia has been classified as a "war risk" country for insurance purposes. This further diminishes Indonesia's competitive edge, making it not just harder to attract investment but also to maintain profitability in many business sectors.

The secret to tackling any crisis is to create confidence amongst the population that the leadership has identified the problem and has formulated a plan to overcome it. In the U.S., the likes of New York mayor Giuliani and President George Bush were not only highly visible but also exuded a confidence of overcoming the crisis. They were action men, not just in words, but in deeds. Whether or not you agree with their policies, you must admit that they set the agenda and led from it.

The people in Indonesia, expatriates included, are waiting for similar leaders to emerge and take charge of the situation in a forceful yet compassionate manner. They have been patient since the fall of Soeharto and the onset of reformasi, realizing that such things take time, especially against the backdrop of an economic crisis. To date, they have seen few confidence building measures however.

Unlike the Indonesian people though, as guests, expatriates can always decide that the time has come for them to say goodbye to their hosts. Sadly, many already have over the past few years, though with more than a tinge of sadness. For there are a sizable number of expatriates who have been here, one, two or more decades, long enough for them to call Indonesia "home".

Tearing up roots is never easy at the best of times, but even harder for those who have married Indonesians and have families that know no other country as home. It is not a decision made on the spur of the moment, but the result of many sleepless nights and painful days of a growing realization that their dreams can no longer be fulfilled in Indonesia.

It was not the sudden bomb blasts in Bali that brought about this realization, disturbing though they were. No, it has been a prolonged ebbing of confidence that Indonesia has the will and determination to tackle its many problems head-on.

But while many expatriates have already left, just to set the record straight, not all have given up hope. They remain out of a deep love for Indonesia and its people, as well as in the hope that their confidence will be restored in Indonesia's ability to solve its problems and realize its great destiny.