TheJakartaPost
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Your letters: Let Indonesia be
This is a comment on a letter titled âWhat will Indonesia look like?â (The Jakarta Post, July 29, p8) by Chris, Jakarta
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his is a comment on a letter titled 'What will Indonesia look like?' (The Jakarta Post, July 29, p8) by Chris, Jakarta.
Indonesia is a complex collection of old kingdoms and sultanates conquered by the Dutch and animistic tribes untouched by modern civilization. Jakarta is not Indonesia. Indonesia will continue to muddle through as it balances the metropolitan and rural areas; Java and other islands; modern manufacturing and subsistence farming; etc.
It will be whatever it will be. It is not small like Singapore. It is not feudal and tri-racial like Malaysia. It is not homogeneous and wanting for resources like Japan.
It is not homogeneous and suffering from inferiority complex like Korea was in the 20th century. It is not under a totalitarian regime like China. It is a still corrupt, still working itself out, vibrant democracy. It is a creative society, but it also has its clinging-to-religion detractors.
Nobody can create a uniform vision of what Indonesia will be. Sukarno, Soeharto, both forceful leaders of men, tried and failed. The next leaders should just let Indonesia be. Collect taxes and spend them honestly. Protect the rainforests. Defend the minorities. Teach the children critical thinking. Then watch Indonesia blossom into whatever it will be.
Fuad Nurhadi
Jakarta
