National disintegration

National disintegration

After watching TV coverage and seeing images of acts of arson
and manslaughter in Palangka Raya and Hulu Kapuas, my heart sank.
My people once known as gentle and patient, have now become
ferocious. Are they really bloodthirsty? This unitary state is
really on the verge of disintegration.

"One State, One Nation and One Language", the motto nurtured
and cherished by our founding fathers, is at stake. We all have
experienced the joy of having one language, the Indonesian
language. This is depicted when we travel across the country as
we can easily communicate with one another. One state is an
assurance that no matter where we set our foot on this
archipelago, it is still our country, and last but not least is
the spirit of having one nation that we have to always cherish
and keep alive in our hearts.

In a unitary state, we must not take pride in the feelings and
interests of our own tribe and region; we must regard ourselves
as Indonesians. The first president, the late Bung Karno stressed
on the importance of unity in his slogan, "united we stand,
divided we fall" because only through unity will we be solid and
strong.

However, during the New Order regime, groups such as the
Association of Indonesian Military Children, the Association of
Minang People, Gorontalo People, West, Central and East Java
People and so forth began to mushroom. This lead to divide et
impera( divide and rule).

Such a circumstance is being worsened by the establishment of
regional autonomy. Anyway, who was it that came up with idea of
regional autonomy? Its objectives may be great, but many a region
are not ready for it as human resources still pose a problem.
What is clearly rampant are cases involving money and position.

Transmigrations, which was intended to be used to unite the
nation, are now in disarray because of regional sentiments. For
example, people from Central and West Java, who have long settled
in particular areas in Aceh, are now being forcibly driven out
and left stranded in refugee camps. Refugees from Sampit had a
horrible experience too. During the Dutch era, there were tribes
notorious for beheading their enemies. These tribes were very
proud of what they were doing. The heads of the victims were
usually put on display. The more heads they collected, the more
respect they received. The Dutch government, however, did not sit
still. They clamped down on these acts of savagery by continually
policing the area.

What we have to do now is to foster nationalism, tolerance,
togetherness and unity. At present we feel the absence of a
uniting figure; one who is wise, hardworking, has the moral
authority and accepted by all walks of life, but expects no
reward for uniting his nation.

Indonesia is now like a no-man's land. Its people have no
protection, The police and the Army are afraid to take stern
measures for fear of breaching human rights. Take for example a
case in Aceh when police took action, the President became
indignant. Only time will tell what is going to happen to
Indonesia.

MRS. IRANA

Jakarta