Inflammatory article emerges bitter past
Inflammatory article emerges bitter past
I refer to the article Dutch treat: Who pays for the pain?
published in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 8.
Because of the writer's professionalism he seems to be allowed
to publish opinions which would otherwise be censored and may
even be prosecuted.
Why does a noted journalist like him needs to use a report
from the Associated Press as the basis to write a highly
tendentious seven-column headlined and inflammatory article that
might foment hatred and recreate all those awful memories of
bitterness, pain and lost pride of this nation and its citizens?
By using his normal consistent high level of ethics he could
have made an appropriate article with a proper background
investigation (without heresy) and could have drawn a parallel
between for instance the Indonesian sentiments related to
independence and the enormous outburst of emotion on the visit of
the Japanese emperor Hirohito to The Netherlands in 1971 where 85
percent of the Dutch people demanded a formal apology from the
Japanese for their war crimes or for instance to the fact that
the Dutch are silently punished by the current Indonesian
government for their past via their exclusion from the visa on
arrival option despite being among the top visiting foreign
nationals.
Exploring this topic in such a way would have made sense; Now
he regretfully reduces his own dignity and journalism to a
doubtful level not in line with his normal high standards,
especially with the conclusions he has made.
Would it not be better to report on the current major problems
such as the efforts of the government to downplay the bird flu
and swine flu epidemic, the present economic crisis, the rampant
corruption in all layers of society, the ongoing discrimination
against other religions and indigenous people in Indonesia, the
radicalization of the Islam by growing segments of this society.
Other issues are the destruction of the tourism industry by
current government regulations, the investment-oppressive
business climate, the over 30 percent increase in the prices of
most commodities in local Indonesian markets, unemployment, AIDS
prevention and the millions of Indonesian children suffering from
malnutrition (just to suggest a couple of headlines) in this
beautiful country?
May I take this opportunity to extend my heartiest and
sincerest greeting Dirgahayu Republik Indonesia, 1945-2005, on
the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Indonesian independence.
LEO J. LAMMERINK, Bogor, West Java