Behind the picture of expatriates' exodus

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.