'I'm proud to be Indonesian'

'I'm proud to be Indonesian'

Indonesia commemorated its 59th year of independence on Aug. 17.
The young democracy has made some progress, but deep-rooted
corruption has slowed economic development and hampered efforts
to establish reliable executive, legislative and judicial
institutions. Many experts say corruption is part of the culture
of Indonesia. The Jakarta Post asked Jakartans how they felt to
be Indonesian.

Pung Harsono, 51, is a staff member of the Bung Karno sports
complex management body. He lives in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta:

I am proud to be Indonesian. I acknowledge that our country
has many weaknesses in human resources, the economy and other
sectors.

But this should not make us ashamed to be Indonesian. Many
other countries are worse off than Indonesia.

Take Iraq as an example. Although the United States and its
allies treated it as their common enemy and bombarded the
country, the people are still proud to be Iraqis.

I am optimistic that we will be able to solve our problems as
long as we work hard in our respective capacities. I think the
question should not be how we feel to be Indonesian, but what
each of us has done for the country.

Sofril Amir, 34, is an architect with the Science, Aesthetics,
and Technology Foundation in South Jakarta. He lives in Cipete,
also in South Jakarta:

There are many things that make me proud to be Indonesian. One
of them is that we are now in the process of becoming a democracy
and people can express their opinions freely.

This country has many people who are struggling to overcome
the various difficulties the country is facing.

I am not referring to the politicians, mind you, but the
workers and non-governmental organizations who continue to fight
to resume the reform process.

I do not believe that I am alone in being proud to be
Indonesian. Look around us, there are people who are still
enthusiastic about participating in the commemoration of
Independence Day. Not only by raising a flag, but also by
decorating their neighborhoods. For me, such activities reflect
how proud they are to be Indonesian.

--The Jakarta Post