Indignity, so what?
Why do you prefer "indignity" instead of "slap in the face". Do you still believe in defending the manners of the "orang timur" (Eastern people) as an excuse? Forget it. It is nothing but a proof of cowardice, pleasing ourselves to cover our true weaknesses and stupidity.
The last Cold War, the game of superpowers, pushed the country to save East Timor from becoming a communist beachhead in the area. Engineered by sophistication, East Timor became Indonesia's 27th province. Then we called it a voluntary integration. Now we know it was a military invasion because thousands of soldiers were killed.
What did we find there? Nothing but poverty and illiteracy. For more than 20 years, National Development Planning Board allocated a Rp 1.2 trillion development budget annually to improve the welfare of 800,000 East Timorese. It was Portugal's colony for 400 years. What did they do? Did our leaders ever argue the issue with UN High Commissioner on Human Rights?
In several instances on international issues, we quite often came out as a loser. East Timor is a good example. President B.J. Habibie's sacred mission dream for the East Timorese referendum has turned into a nightmare. It is nothing but a tiny spark flaring up into a series of international humiliations. Indonesia is not a good invader. Total pullout of Indonesian soldiers. A bad image of our national leaders.
A peacekeeping force led by Australia. Why Australia? How do they treat the Aborigines? What did the UN High Commissioner for International Human Rights say about it?
Then came the threats from IMF and the World Bank. Before the Soeharto regime was ousted by the students, both international agencies praised Indonesia's high growth rates. The emergence of a new tiger in Asia. Everybody was happy. Suddenly, the economy collapsed. The monetary crisis took hold and the rupiah weakened. Bad bank debts in the trillion of rupiah. Factories closed and thousands of workers discharged. Corruption keeps rolling on. There is the Bank Bali scandal, etc., an endless list.
We have been living in the world of hypocrisy. We have enjoyed living amid dishonesty, deceit, lies and dirty tricks. A civil servant with a monthly salary of say, Rp 500,000, can afford to drive a Mercedes Benz and live in a mansion. No question from wives where the money comes from because money has become everything. Although we always claim to be religious people, we are not godly, nor devotees. Consequently we deserve humiliation.
The country's situation reminds me of the Israelites in the Bible. Whenever they have honest and devout kings or leaders, the people will enjoy peace and prosperity. Let us ask God to forgive all our trespasses. Our dignity, someday, somehow, will rise again.
DOANGSA SITUMEANG
Jakarta