'Foreigners are honorable guests'

Following a recent anti-U.S. demonstration, radicals attempted to intimidate, or forcibly expel three Westerners and others have announced a unilateral boycott of American products in response to the U.S.-led military attack on Iraq. The people trying to expel the Westerners were caught in the act by the police and arrested in Jakarta. The Jakarta Post talked to some city residents about these issues.

Tashari, 35, is a taxi driver who resides in Ciganjur, South Jakarta with his wife and two children:

I think the war in Iraq is just useless since it will never result in an appropriate solution but rather, it will only bring about extreme dislike from all sides.

If certain radical groups intimidate foreigners, I'm sure it is absolutely wrong since it will simply come to nothing.

The foreigners are our honorable guests in our country, so why don't we treat them with respect? They are just innocent people like us who probably don't agree with the war either.

Offending other human beings based on the color of their skin and boycotting products will only damage our country, particularly in terms of the economy. Besides, why should we worry about the U.S. and its allied forces that are waging war in Iraq? The war is actually none of our business.

I wonder why so many people are just wasting their energy to stage these useless rallies and even resorting to intimidation of our guests here.

Worse still, their extreme actions will just remind others in the world that they are making a religious issue out of all this, and that is their main goal. I just do not see how this war has anything to do with anyone's religion. I mean, not a single world religion teaches its followers to commit violence.

I just hope that the war will end soon. Otherwise, I will bear the economic impact, as my income is already dropping. It's hard now for us to get passengers, particularly foreigners, especially after nightfall, because people, both local and foreign, are just not going out, or the tourists have all left. It's now very tough for me just to meet my daily rental fee of Rp 95,000.

It would be far better to concern ourselves more with how we, as a country, can survive in our daily life rather than stressing about someone else's war or problems.

Kristanto, 31, is an employee of an international institution in Kuningan, South Jakarta, who lives in Setiabudi, South Jakarta with friends:

This war is just a harsh way to kill and destroy each other and nobody will benefit from it.

Perhaps it's one way for the U.S. to promote its sophisticated weaponry while hoping that such a show of force will entice other countries to buy their war hardware. Anyway, it is actually the internal business of the governments involved and absolutely none of our business.

So, I strongly oppose the idea of boycotting all U.S. brands in Indonesia. It is certainly an irrational and overly emotional response.

Like it or not, we should admit that we depend greatly on foreign trade. We get loans from foreign countries, our exports go there and in return, we also consume the imported goods from there.

Boycotting the products will just result in a devastating backlash for our country and its development, because it means we will not be able to buy or use computer products from the U.S. Sounds crazy!

The same idea goes for intimidating Westerners. That is even more stupid. That would just unleash a new type of war and they would lose the moral high ground. The people at the rallies who shout about peace and humanity would just be total hypocrites. It means all their antiwar shouts are just bulls--t! What's the difference between the war they are protesting and the war they promote?

As an employee who works with some expatriates, I feel bad for them if they are treated so poorly in our country. I myself feel a bit worried too. Some of the people I worked with left the country for America a couple of days ago. But, I try to think more rationally, reminding myself that it would really not be possible for Megawati to cut diplomatic ties with the U.S.

Lyla, 29, is a housewife residing in Cilincing, North Jakarta with her son and extended family:

I disagree completely with the war and I am concerned if innocent civilians are victimized by war.

I don't care about the troops on either side, as their job is to fight in wars on the battlefield and they are paid for that.

The intimidation or raids on foreigners here is just one of the many ridiculous ideas of the uneducated, jobless people who are paid to be thugs at rallies on the street, and pretending to protest the war.

I would even have to say that their jihad makes no sense at all. Why do they have to manipulate religion in such a way for their own advantage? I guess there are certain motives behind it.

There is actually no difference between a common criminal thug and those who take part in raids against people from different ethnic backgrounds. The foreign residents here have nothing to do with the war and might also be against it.

Boycotting American products would even be a far more stupid idea, if I may say. Those fools who are saying such things should just go live in the jungle where modernity is out of their reach.

Do they not realize that even their toothpicks are probably still imported from foreign countries!

-- Leo Wahyudi S