Indonesia from a distance

Indonesia from a distance

Three and a half months have passed since my wife and I left
Indonesia for the colder pastures of England. In the first two
months we had to live in a small hotel room in what is supposed
to be the leading hotel in Cambridge (a far cry from what a
cheaper hotel in Jakarta would offer) and look at the continuous
pouring rain of the England summer, that did not take place this
year.

Then at least our furniture arrived from Indonesia and some
even fitted through the door of our new home, with a big part of
it filling the garage waiting for better times.

Now we have settled here in our Indonesian furniture and are
often thinking back to Indonesia and its beauty, but also its
shortcomings as well. But as life must go on, one has to look
forward again to new beginnings in these times of change for
everyone. However this does not mean that there is no more
interest in what is happening in our previous home country, where
we enjoyed living so much.

For that reason, not yet being on the Internet, I am reading
the International Herald Tribune where one can still get some
news about Indonesia occasionally, apart from reading about the
"adventures" of Bill Clinton. The English newspapers are more
concerned with the Spice Girls or even worse subjects, it seems.

Unfortunately, it is quite disturbing to receive news from
Indonesia as basically nothing much seems to have changed, quite
the contrary, it seems to be getting worse. People will face
starvation to a greater extent than already experienced and the
Chinese minority remain targets of looting and violence, which
will further drain the country of a lot of money and intellect,
both of which are desperately needed now.

People with politically different ideas are still in prison or
disappear and it appears no trust base exists for the present
government (which does not come as a surprise). All of this and
much more might lead to even more social unrest and violence,
which is partially understandable from the poor people's
perspective, but does not help anyone and may ultimately lead to
the military taking over for good again.

As one correspondent in the International Herald Tribune put
it: Indonesia could have tremendous potential to become the
leading nation for the whole region if it could become a truly
democratic country and of course if it could overcome the
economic turmoil of these days and I'm afraid, years.

I will keep my fingers crossed from a distance that both
things can subsequently be achieved and that it won't take too
long.

ROLAND WOEHRLE

Cambridgeshire, England