'I don't believe in nationalism'

'I don't believe in nationalism'

Indonesia just celebrated its 59th anniversary on Tuesday. The
country has faced many problems since it declared independence --
particularly in recent years from foreign debts to corruption,
from weak law enforcement to separatism. Democratic development
has been trial-and-error, and culminated this year in the
country's first direct general elections. Against this backdrop,
The Jakarta Post asked some residents if they were proud of being
Indonesians.

Farah, 18, is a housewife who lives in Kebon Kacang, Central
Jakarta, with her family:

I don't know if I am proud of being Indonesian or not. All I
know is that it is getting harder for people like us to earn a
decent living, while it seems to be getting easier for government
officials or the rich to maintain a lavish lifestyle. I don't
know if they get their fortune by working honestly or not, but I
hear a lot about corrupt officials.

I'm really ashamed about those corrupt officials, but I'm
proud of my family, because we still make honest money during
this difficult time by selling fruits.

Esti, 26, is a communications officer of a non-governmental
organization in Mampang, South Jakarta. She lives in a boarding
house near her office:

Generally, I'm proud of being Indonesian in the sense that I'm
part of a great and diverse culture -- but not in the sense of
nationalism.

I don't believe in nationalism, because it is often misused
and politicized, used by the government to make people believe in
the wars in Aceh, (former Indonesian territory) East Timor and
Papua.

So I'm proud to be part of such a vast culture, but not of our
brand of nationalism. It is not worth killing anybody, not now,
not ever.

This country is at war and nothing can make me think
otherwise. We're not independent, we don't have sovereignty or
true freedom. We're burdened by debts, our people don't have land
and are mired in corruption.

-- The Jakarta Post