Living dangerously

Natural and man-made calamities have continued to plague the place that we call home. Earthquakes, droughts, floods, haze caused by forest fires, landslides, the mudflow disaster and another tsunami have claimed lives and threatened thousands of people's livelihoods.

Then there are the social problems. Unemployment remains high and calls for bureaucratic reform have produced little meaningful change in the regions, while the courts continue to protect the rich and powerful.

Thankfully there has also been some positive change. There was reasonable progress reported in the tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Aceh.

A year since peace broke in the province after the signing of peace deal between the government and the Free Aceh Movement, the landmark Dec. 11 elections there went ahead peacefully as did the other regional polls in the country this year.

-- The Jakarta Post