Youngsters set good example
I highly valued the article Time to go for pro-Soeharto legislators written by Mr. Dillon on the front page of The Jakarta Post on April 22, 1999. He clearly explained why the political elite in Indonesia is of a poor quality and blamed it on the lack of courage and morality of our government. The same people, the same way of thinking, the same outcome: right now just as it was during the previous system. Our political representatives seldom show moral courage or independence. They prefer to play it safe. The present government is a bad example indeed for the people who are losing their morality in a hurry with fighting, destruction, cruelty, murder and betrayal.
The damage caused by the government of Soeharto is, in the first place, not because of the financial set-back of the country. It was the example it set to get power and material benefits by any means without ever considering the loss of their own morality or the loss of justice for the people of Indonesia.
I have no experience in political circles, but I would like to make some comments based on daily life. It is this: not only are our government representatives guilty of keeping quiet, but almost all Indonesian adult citizens are, too. We kept silent out of fear for the iron fist and Soeharto. We suffered from his system and yes, we suffered also from our own fear for the consequences if we dared to speak up. Our fear made us a bad example to our children.
Therefore, I extremely admire the youths and among other the students, who had the insight to take action and sacrifice themselves in order to break out of the former system. They serve as an example for the older generation.
Nothing, however, is more difficult than to admit that the older generation made mistakes. It is more convenient to defend our behavior, so we try to convince ourselves and others that we were right. We had after all good reasons for our attitude, didn't we? If these youths were us in our age, our position, our knowledge, our financial responsibility, then maybe they would understand us better, too. "Those young people are too spontaneous, too idealistic. To demonstrate in the streets! For heaven's sake... you're risking your life!"
Maybe we could learn something from them.
ROSINI NIMPOENO
Sawangan, West Java