One rape every five hours

I had just sat down the other week to write about the deplorable conditions under which hundreds of thousands of refugees in various parts of the country have to live as the result of sectarian violence, floods and earthquakes and military operations, when my attention was caught by a statement in a television address by the state minister of women's empowerment, Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

While calling for a stop to violence and abuse of women, she revealed that today there is one rape every five hours. The abuse of women is supposedly committed by husbands, and victims include underage females. These figures, if they are correct, are staggering indeed, and tragically adds to other still unresolved social problems in the country. I do not know if the minister also had in mind the problem of prostitution, including child prostitution, and child labor. How further away are we now from the ideals of a violence and discrimination free, let alone a welfare, society.

The crucial question now is: should our responsible leaders prioritize first, concentrating all efforts and resources on putting an end to the state of people's misery and suffering? Or think about pushing ahead with foreign policy matters that can wait another decade?

From the just concluded ASEAN summit in Singapore, President Abdurrahman Wahid emerged with a "brilliant" idea that may shock the region: the setting up of a new grouping of nations which include East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. The President was reportedly disappointed with the results of the Singapore summit. No statesman is so imaginative in foreign policy as Abdurrahman Wahid. The proposal sounds rather utopian and unrealistic, as if coming from a sick mind.

It is more urgent for Abdurrahman Wahid to cater more earnestly to the problems of displaced persons and refugees languishing in makeshift tents. How many perish a week among them because of lack of food and medicine?

By setting his mind to the creation of a new grouping under a new name -- West Pacific Forum -- the President seems to have lost all interest in catching fugitive Tommy or bringing his father to court.

The worst report from the aftermath of the Singapore ASEAN summit is that President Wahid has now openly lashed out at the Singaporean leadership for not wanting to support his ideas.

Indonesia is now threatening to cut off all water supply to the island republic in retaliation. Such remarks should not have come from a statesman on a diplomatic mission. It is very confusing if one tries to understand the priorities set by Indonesian leaders today.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta