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Barcodes and printed receipts: How red tape prevented me contributing to US-RI dialogue
While some countries have offered manageable ways for foreigners to get a visa, there is a group of countries that has gone the extra mile to set up a system that makes life difficult for anyone trying to gain entry.
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Illustration of Indonesian passport (Shutterstock/Rizvisual)
B
ureaucracy has been the bane of everyone's existence for as long as governments have existed, and there's nothing more trying in life than applying for a visa to visit a foreign country.
While some countries have offered manageable ways for foreigners to get visas, there is a group of nations that has gone the extra mile to set up a system that makes life difficult for anyone trying to gain entry.
The United States, however, is in a league of its own.
Last month, I received an invitation to join a discussion in Washington D.C., where I was booked to serve as a moderator in one session and as a speaker in another.
Dubbed the US-Indonesia Dialogue on Peace, Prosperity and Security, the forum in my opinion could contribute greatly to advancing mutual understanding between the US and Indonesia.
After all, one of the guiding questions in the session that I was supposed to speak at was "How do Indonesia and the United States each view the current geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific?".
I was excited about the prospect of having a meaningful conversation with some of the most influential US hands in Southeast Asian affairs.
