an eastern asian colleague wondered about this unfolding deal between the government of indonesia and the gam movement and said he could use my opinion about it. after trying to crack my brain, i realized there was not much inside, and so i finally gave up. i could not answer and felt deeply sorry for not being able to estabish an opinion. for isn't it terrible to have no opion about something that has ended many lives, ravaged homes and families, and many tears are still being cried?
he asked why not. i added because i didn't know which one to believe; which one the more credible. i remember reading an article not so long ago in Inside Indonesia, a journal published in australia, which sounded very sympathetic to the acehnese. i have heard a lot from some friends about the sufferings caused by the military rules in aceh. i have also read articles on some gam members firing bullets to armies working on the tsunami victims. two or three friends of mine even suggested they didn't mind aceh becoming an independent country--like timor timur, as long as they have a real lasting peace that they may deserve. very humanitarian, of course, if one could assure peace would perch on this rencong land.
but who could do that, and for how long? most of us fear that peace is but a brief pause between two guerilla wars. the most crucial problem to most civilians is this: which story is true? which truth to believe? i guess it would be easier to most people speak about the reconstruction efforts in the wake of the disaster. there sure is a whale of problems there, but the situation is much clearer. in regard to aceh and gam, none has been able to show their credibility. not even the local nor international media.
besides, about 3 weeks ago i had a chance to interview a former governor of jakarta. an aging, retired general, still rich after all this time. (this country is run by the military--and the mafia, in case you don't know.) i'd heard he was in the know about the development with gam-ri. i asked him the same question about indonesia and gam? he said he didn't know, and guestimated that noone really knew about it. for a meeting proving disappointing, why should i be quoting him now? heck, he practically knew next to nothing. but i was glad he was no longer a governor, and appreciated his honesty. anyway, the point is this: without credibility, even a perceived one, one oughtta button his or her lip. shut up. poffa be. end of post.
