Indonesian volunteers

Indonesian volunteers

During the recent anti-American demonstrations, following the
U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan in search of Osama bin
Laden, there were daily reports about Indonesian volunteers
signing up to fight alongside the Taliban in what they called a
jihad (holy war). Despite the government's disapproval, a couple
of hundred of them managed to make it to Afghanistan and have
presumably taken part in the fighting.

The latest reports about their whereabouts only mention that
they have been taken prisoner by the Northern Alliance forces. If
they had refused to surrender or not defected they could very
well be among those who have been slaughtered.

Officially, the Indonesian government is making no effort to
find out what has actually happened to them. One thing is
certain, these Indonesian volunteers were traveling without
proper documents.

Only the Indonesian Red Cross can still do something, by
contacting the International Red Cross to help arrange the safe
return home for those volunteers unless, of course, they are
already being held in captivity.

When the war is over, women will have a greater role to play.
Already five Afghan women have been included in the power-sharing
talks in Bonn, Germany. But one wonders why so many Indonesian
women, who took part in supporting the Taliban regime, were so
ignorant of the fate of women there.

It is important to remember that Afghanistan still needs
volunteers to work there as nurses, doctors, engineers and
teachers to help rebuild the country. But where are those
volunteers? Before they go they should learn English or Arabic
and be willing to sacrifice their future. Alternatively, they
could work as volunteer social workers under the UN flag or any
other such organization.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta