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his is a comment on a The Jakarta Post Online article entitled '€œUS report highlights Indonesia'€™s poor law enforcement'€ on June 27.

The US may have its own problems; the difference is that the US has admitted its problems. Indonesia'€™s problems, on the other hand, are very murky.

Corruption is integral to dealing with property disputes, human trafficking, the courts, the Attorney General'€™s Office, the police and the military.

If a senior member of the US army crosses the line, he is prosecuted. Indonesia does nothing but protect them. The same is true for the police.

Yes, in the US it seems the police are a little trigger-happy but, unfortunately, so are the criminals. Not all police shootings are unjust, although, obviously, one unjust shooting is too many.

Indonesia says it has freedom of speech but at the same time has numerous laws that quell free speech.

The truth is that there is really no freedom of speech here. Under the Blasphemy Law, people are stifled because of interpretations with no judicial basis.

Yes, the US has its problems, some even worse than police shootings, but at least it tries to fix them. Sadly, there is no fixing in Indonesia '€” people are worried they might lose a bit of power, or have to stuff their wallet a little less thick.

Unlike in the US, Indonesian citizens don'€™t really get a say, unless they have cash to do their talking.

XSimaging
Jakarta