Go Indonesia...you guys are great..!


After more than 10 years that I should witness  conflicts and sectarian hatred here, today, I must say that I love Indonesian people. You guys are great. This is because the lesson I’ve learned from the recent days of journeys that the people were united in a solid voice to correspond the country’s high profile cases – that I would like to call: the very sensitive ones.

Within days after watching a shocking scene about the arrest of two commissioners of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M. Hamzah, the people encouraged themselves and began to voice their demand: “Free Bibit and Chandra”. The people believe that Bibit and Chandra are innocent; thus, any move aimed at placing them behind bar should be motivated by political conspiracy to eliminate their power in investigating rampant corruption cases in the country.

It was also within days that more than 1 million Facebookers joined a group, stepping up pressure against the police and the prosecutors to set Bibit and Chandra free. The raising callings have eventually forced President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to bow to the people’s demand: to drop the case against Bibit and Chandra.

That is one case that I love about Indonesian people within the recent weeks, or months…

Two others historic journeys that I love about Indonesian people have happened today: December 9, the World’s Day of Anticorruption Movement, which falls amidst the peak of people’s effort to call on a thorough investigation against Century-gate; and at the time when an ordinary woman named Prita Mulyasari turned to be an extraordinary one.

Prita, believed to be a victim of malpractice while she was hospitalized at Omni International General Hospital, has been sentenced to six-months in jail term for defamation against the Hospital and the medical staffers. The judges also asked her to pay Ro 204 million in fine -- something that Prita would not be able to do so because she doesn’t have enough money.

Today, I read the news, telling that Indonesian people all across the country have been able to collect Rp 400 million of coins for Prita…They may just strangers, but they have done great job – angel’s hearted-job.

And today, elsewhere in Indonesia, people are staging rallies. They call President Yudhoyono to promote clean government by executing those who are responsible (and are implicated) in the Century-gate. Certainly it is such a tough call for the President…

You are great, my Indonesian friends…Indonesian people…you guys are great…!