'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