Bleak December

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