Turmoil in Jakarta

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