Think nationally!

"The momentum is still on the side of the reform movement," Adam Schwarz said in The Jakarta Post (Sept. 3). I agree with him, the gate has not yet been closed for all of us to march forward to turn this nation into a civil society. The road, or channel, to achieve this goal is, in my opinion, through what many people now are talking about, i.e. national reconciliation. Now is the time for us to do some soul-searching, as a nation and as individuals.

We, all Indonesians, who are concern over the fate of the nation, should look into our soul to answer the questions facing the nation, including issues of autonomy or a federation, changes or amendments to the constitution, independence for Irian Jaya and East Timur, matters of human rights, the legal and judicial system, the economic system, the role of cooperatives, a capitalist and welfare system of the national economy, the education system, local and national cultures. These issues are not only for politicians in the People's Consultative Assembly or the House of Representatives to discuss and deliberate but for all leaders, official and unofficial, in all layers of society. The nation is now at an existential crossroad.

Popular public figures like, among others, Romo Mangun, Gus Dur, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Lt. Gen. SB Yudhoyono, Amien Rais, Edi Sudradjat, Goenawan Mohamad, Kwik Kian Gie, Emil Salim and Bishop Belo have to be involved in the reconciliation meetings because they are the sort of people who are always thinking about the nation as a whole.

MUSA NATAWIYOGYA

Jakarta