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Harry Bhaskara’s endless hope for a better Indonesia
Veteran Indonesian journalist and independent thinker Harry Bhaskara gives his thoughts on Indonesia after living several years as an Australian following his retirement in 2010.
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Harry Bhaskara. (-/Erlinawati Graham)
I
t is a bromide among politicians urging exporters: Australians must study Indonesian to sell more to the hungry customers next door.
Exploring reveals diversity; tolerance will thrive and friendships flourish. This is fine to a point, though not the whole story for veteran Indonesian journalist and independent thinker Harry Bhaskara.
Harry reckons his former country also has to put in the hard yards, as Australians say. That includes the government news agency Antaradistributing enticing stories about Indonesia written in English.
Then Aussies might learn there’s more to the republic than burning tires in Jakarta and motorbikes in Bali’s Kuta.
“If Indonesia can become a decent country, its relationship with Australia and the rest of the world will improve,” Harry said.
“Much of the onus lies with Indonesia itself […] By ‘decent’, I mean the nation should become a true democracy, uphold justice, eliminate the impunity protecting authority and make the bureaucracy transparent,”
“Investors won’t come if these issues aren’t solved. Malaysia and Singapore are well run. In the eyes of outsiders, Indonesia is a problematic country […] I don’t blame Australians – why should they bother if Indonesia is not doing well?”
