Indonesia lamented

I am disheartened, shocked and frustrated to see Indonesia today: chaos, killing sprees, sadistic acts, not to mention bomb blasts, which we have never experienced before. In fact, we once claimed that Indonesians were a peace-loving and tolerant people.

If I could go back to past times, like in the American TV series Quantum Leap or Time Tunnel, I would urge Sukarno, Hatta, Agus Salim and all Indonesia's independence fighters not to hurriedly proclaim independence of Indonesia on Aug. 17, 1945, after Japan surrendered to the American-led allied forces. I would convince them that independence would not make Indonesia become a peaceful country which respects human rights. Instead, Sukarno and Hatta would then contact British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American General Douglas MacArthur to deploy British armed forces in Indonesia, making it a British colony. Although colonialism is against a nation's human rights, at least British colonial rule is better than under the Dutch.

Besides, corruption, collusion, nepotism, abuse of power and many more evils have tarnished our country. So, we hardly have anything left to be proud of. I wish I could move to another planet.

MADA SURADI

Jakarta