Letter: Indonesia is not a failed state?

These are comments from The Jakarta Post article titled “Minister insists Indonesia not a failed state” published on June 21 on page 2.

Sir, you can just step out of your air conditioned office and go to any part of Jakarta and see the chaos and people (the struggling poor are people too, you know) rotting in the streets amongst numerous other visible social ills. You can feel the anger and frustrations that could explode any time soon the way they did more than a decade ago. I don’t know how you can partition your brain and turn a blind eye to the in-your-face display of hell on earth.

If you think this is an attack on the government, I suggest you grow up and stop walking on all fours. Government is a social contract with the people, its citizens. If you fail to deliver even the most basic necessities, then you should not be there.

And no, you are not doing your best in bringing this country toward a better condition. You people are too busy lining your own pockets before being deposed in the next term.

Papua is just a start. There will be many others who are sick and tired of the mismanagement and ill-will of the central government.

Just wait.

DW Berretty
Jakarta