Not all young proud to be RI citizens

We asked several young people from various regions whether they were proud to be Indonesian, what they hoped from government, and what they would do if they were president and minister of national education.

Rais Abin, 24, is unemployed and lives in Diponegoro, Ahusen village, Sirimau subdistrict, Ambon.

I'm proud of being Indonesian because this is my country. Besides, this country has a history and variety of regions. In short, this is my motherland.

As a member of the young generation, I ask the government to pay attention to poor people, instead of fighting, especially the elite. Please, create more job opportunities, and be more serious in handling conflicts within the country, especially in Ambon and Maluku. That's all.

If I were president, I would simply try to protect the whole country so that it became peaceful and safe from any threat.

Murizal, a resident of Pidie Sigli, Aceh, works as a vendor.

I don't know if I'm proud of being Indonesian. I just hope that I can carry out my business safely. (He simply laughed when asked what he would do if he became president and refused to answer).

If I were speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly or House of Representatives, I would try to understand more what the people want.

If I were the attorney general, I would act fairly and punish those who deserve it.

Saleh, a student of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh.

I feel embarrassed to be Indonesian, because foreigners consider Indonesia to be a chaotic country. I hope the government could be fair and wise and put people's welfare above personal interests.

If I were president, I would put Indonesia on the same level as other countries in the world.

If I were the Assembly or House Speaker, I would meet people's aspirations and act as a true representative of the people.

If I were a supreme court justice or attorney general, I would uphold the law and not accept bribes.

I would also want people to have access to free education if I were minister of education. As for being minister of research and technology, I would not just made airplanes like (former minister and president) B.J. Habibie, but I would do more than that.

Geeta T., 25, female, of Indian origin, was schooled abroad, but chose to stay and work in Indonesia. She lives in Jakarta.

I'm proud to be Indonesian. I don't know whether others of Indian origin share this thought, but I would never change my citizenship, despite the fact that other countries look down upon Indonesia due to the state of its politics, economy and poor law enforcement.

I don't expect anything from the government. I don't think it has the ability to make any radical changes. In any event, it has failed to prove otherwise.

I wouldn't want to be president, or occupy any other high- ranking position. I believe that we should not depend any more on the central government.

But if I were a judge, I would handle cases in an equal and fair manner. I'd do my job like a machine. And I'd fight for the poor who have always been the victims of justice, especially in land disputes where they have struggled for years. Over long periods they have spent a lot of money to take their cases to trial, but instead of compensation they have only been terrorized for protesting their rights.

Aviva Nababan, 22, female, of Batak origin, graduated from the school of English at Atmajaya University. She is an activist at the Institute of Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Elsham) and lives in Jakarta.

I'm an Indonesian -- I was born here. I didn't have much choice. But even if I'd had, why not? I mean, being an Indonesian is not that bad. The nature of the people is nice. Well, it's more like the Siti Nurbaya story, a forced marriage, but with love in it.

I'm proud of being an Indonesian. I'm proud to have been born into a wonderful community with a marvelous history of struggling for independence. I'm also proud because, by nature, the society is friendly, nice, open, and is tolerant of differences.

I hope the nation will improve in the next five years to ten years. But it would be a futile hope without effort from both the government and the legislature to find a way to escape from past problems and create a system to ensure a stable nation.

When I was posed such a question (about becoming president) at five I answered I wanted to live in a palace and lalalalala. Now it's a tough question. I want to develop our education system so the people can become more critical, not only good in talking. And I would straighten up history.

The MPR/DPR speaker? Well, I wouldn't have much power, would I? But I'd do my job; it would not be more than stopping legislators from hitting each other with their seats, right?

If I held the power to develop the judicial system, I would promote judges' and prosecutors' education and change the criminal court system, which has become obsolete, as the country on which it was modeled, the Netherlands, has itself altered it.

If I were minister of education I would raise teachers' salaries and develop a system to encourage gender sensitivity and strengthen students' critical capacities. Students who dared to shout their opinion would no longer be called sassy kids, and those who dared to think would not be accused of showing off. I would also want to change the curriculum so it would no longer rob children of their childhood, with too many hours spent in class and a lot of homework to do.

If I were minister for research and technology, I would focus on anything but manufacturing airplanes. I would bring technology into line with human and natural resources and the people's standard of living, no sweat.

Adi Putra Binarta, 22, is a student of Trisakti University's school of electrical engineering. He was born in Jakarta. His father is Balinese and his mother Sundanese. He speaks Bahasa Indonesia and Sundanese. He was involved in student rallies that forced president Soeharto to resign in 1998.

I'm proud to be Indonesian. Indonesia is a big country and nation within Southeast Asia. It is unique, with its various cultures and ethnic diversity.

I'm very concerned about ethnic clashes between Dayak and Madurese people in Kalimantan. The government should have been able to prevent the clashes before they went out of control.

Kalimantan, Java and Sumatra should be for everybody, not only for certain ethnic communities.

Indonesia means my motherland. Wherever I work later, maybe overseas, Indonesia is still my homeland. My identity. I will defend it.

Its leaders must be committed to uphold the law and respect citizens' rights.

If I were the country's president, I would unite all elements of the nation. I'd remind them of the goals of the nation, hard fought for by our founding fathers.

Rico Perdana Putra, 21, is a student at the faculty of electronics, University of Indonesia (UI). He is chief of the university's Radio Telekomunikasi Cipta (RTC) radio station.

I am unhappy about all this (conflicts). I am embarrassed. This has certainly become the main focus of the international community. They can assume that as a nation we have a low quality of civilization. But what should we do? As ordinary people, we have no authority.

If I were the president, I would focus on educational development. From education we do not only get knowledge but also culture for law enforcement. I would follow the Japanese experience during the Meiji restoration.

Education is a long-term investment, not an economic investment. Our education is now at its lowest level. Although I have studied at UI, I have nothing to apply. I do not know what my friends have got from their university education.

I hope this nation can strengthen its unity. Through national unity we can pursue society's potential. We are aware that we can walk unaided.