Turmoil in Jakarta

When a person is driven into a corner, his ingenuity is put to the test. Bisnis Indonesia this May 16 reported that many people were still scared on May 15 that the riots would explode again. The newspaper wrote, "so don't be surprised if a funeral car enters the site of a 3-star hotel in West Jakarta at around 3 p.m." The vehicle was not picking up mortal remains but instead transporting a whole family -- 10 people altogether inclusive of three children -- swiftly along the toll road to the airport, according to a hotel employee.

There are many tragic sides to this phenomenon. My son's friend, who lived in a ruko shop/house, could only look on in anger and frustration when the mob set fire to his house and vandalized and destroyed his printing machine which constituted his lifetime savings. With it, his dreams also went up in smoke.

Hopelessness can be dangerous, especially among young people who enjoy quick success. Once their business goes bust or they have negative experiences like the above, depression will overwhelm them and, in some cases, it can be fatal. My nephew told me his friend died at the age of 40 after having been laid off by his bankrupt company.

Amid all the tragedies, there are still honest people among the rioters. When their conscience began to gnaw at them, they returned their loot to the rightful owners. There are also those simple people who had no use for generators and other machines; needless to say, the shop owners were overjoyed to take their goods back.

But I saw the tragedy for myself on television. A group of employees of a large shopping center stood forlornly before the black skeleton of their once glittering workplace -- 700 people who had lost their livelihood.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta