TGPF and moral courage

TGPF and moral courage

The long-awaited joint fact-finding team (TGPF) report on the
mid-May riots deserves a thumbs-up. It stands towering as an
honest report and a sign of moral courage amid a grievous
condition of our nation which lacks integrity.

The hard work of this team is even more encouraging for most
Indonesians, who still count on conscience rather than pride,
power and deception. While we see some government officials or
political leaders only fight for their self-interests or their
own institution's interests, the government-assigned TGPF should
be warmly welcomed. The struggle within its own team before it
reached its conclusion -- certainly not a perfect one -- only
shows us its true effort to fight for truth and justice.

Reflecting on how deep and serious the problem is prevailing
in Indonesia -- corruption, the government's and most political
leaders' (in the system) lack of credibility and the racial and
economic disparity -- we desperately need people who have the
courage to fight for the truth and humanity; broad-minded enough
to see the real problems of society and thus speak up and act
accordingly.

It is always refreshing to see that there are still people
with high integrity and courage, like Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Romo
Sandyawan and Marzuki Darusman, willing to make themselves
available to labor for humanity and keep sowing the seeds of
eternity.

ILHAM DJAJA

Jakarta