Bleak December

Instead of entering December with hope and anticipation for happiness in the new year, and joy at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan and the approaching Chinese New Year, the people of Indonesia have black eyes from lack of sleep and a bleak prospect due to rising prices and economic hardship.

Political analyst Soedjati Djiwandono complained in an article of how Indonesia's foreign policy is now in a state of disarray following the emotional outburst of President Abdurrahman Wahid when attending the informal ASEAN summit in Singapore.

On the home front, things are in no less a state of disarray wherever one looks. Not only economically and politically, but culturally as well, the national spectacle is very discouraging and confusing. For instance, how could members of the House of Representatives, with some exceptions, approve a candidate for the Supreme Court chief who was a known sympathizer of the New Order regime?

I am personally disappointed at why Kwik Kian Gie and friends from his caucus have so far said or done nothing to stop the process, not even protested. On the other hand, how could President Abdurrahman Wahid accuse a House Committee set up to investigate suspected shady dealings by the first executive, if not outright corrupt practices, be called an illegal attempt to unseat the government, while in effect it is just an investigation.

Then we see the curiously sudden release of the governor of Bank Indonesia from detention at the Attorney General's Office. He returned to his post without trial, denying us the opportunity to learn if he is guilty or innocent of any wrongdoing. Fortunately, the national currency is taking care of itself with the help of smugglers and counterfeit dealers.

Rebellion in various provinces has not abated and the number of refugees increases, with school children suffering the most, according to media reports.

It seems that everything is moving in the wrong direction. Prices move upward and morality downward, crime is breaking new records and education is simply stalling. Of course, the rich are not affected, they will celebrate the change of the year in luxurious hotels or abroad.

I would like to cry out in this black and bleak month of December: Let the corruptors roam freely for another decade but give the people something to eat, to dress their children and celebrate the New Year or Idul Fitri in a happy manner, at least for a week.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta