West demonstrates confused priorities

Nothing exemplifies the sheer destructive lunacy of the policies of some Western organisations toward Indonesia, as the present campaign by some to stop the IMF and World Bank from aiding Indonesia until illegal logging here comes to an end.

Illegal logging is just one symptom of the absence of law and order and the ubiquitous presence of corruption in this country. The other symptoms, such as mass ethnic killings, human rights abuses, burgeoning crime, poverty and deprivation are much more severe and should concern the international community far more. These symptoms, however, are more difficult for the West to relate to as their correction requires much more than just a desire to appease consciences and demonstrate self-righteousness, but, instead, necessitates a proper understanding of the complexities of the social, political and economic equation here. It seems that Western simplistic populism has learned nothing from the East Timor debacle.

What Western organizations should be doing is encouraging the plowing of money and expertise into strengthening order based on the rule of law and, in the process, helping to eradicate Indonesia's cancer of corruption. Then, to be sure, not only will the trees and wildlife of Indonesia benefit, but human respect, decency and humanity itself will also be advanced.

FRANK RICHARDSON

Tangerang, Banten