Sweeping issue and reality

It is refreshing to read a letter from Soemarsono Sastrowardoyo (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 31, 2001). Sastrowardoyo described Jakarta as safer than New York, despite several peaceful Muslim protests against the U.S. recently.

Through his letter, Sastrowardoyo has given sharp and very fair accounts of what is truly going on in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. I am disappointed with some baseless reports in some media in Indonesia. Since four weeks ago, we have been reading exaggerated and excessively repeated reports on the possible sweeping of foreigners by what are called extremist Muslim groups. However, we haven't even seen a single case to prove that the sweeping truly occurred. For some, sweeping is still an enigma.

In fact, tortures and killings have occurred in countries which claim to be champions of human rights -- Australia and the United States -- following the September terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon. Some mosques were set ablaze recently in some parts in Australia. Some Arab people were harassed here (since many people perceived them as Muslims), despite the fact that they were innocent people and they had nothing to do with the terrorist attack. In the U.S., at least three people were beaten to death by locals because they had Arabian characteristics.

In Australia, the Australian leaders have failed to act properly. John Howard comments that sweeping moves by Australian locals were disappointing. He implies that the sweepings were a fair consequence of the terrorist attack, while at the same time he refused to strongly condemn the violation of human rights in his own country. This contradicts his blunt criticism of the Indonesian military's human rights violations in East Timor.

A'AN SURYANA

Canberra, Australia