Vote for Komodo National Park or for the Gold Mining?

Only one day left to give your vote for the place where you can find the only dragon in the real world...that's the komodo dragon!

Actually I would like to write something about the National Park through the eyes of foreigners. But I've been contacting friends to ask about their experience in Komodo island to no avail. One friend answered that she had no chance to visit the island while she was here, others were not replying (Sometimes it is hard being known as a blogger who like to write for citizen journalism websites. My journalist friends said that it is the problem of journalists...that's why to get through the source of information does need a way of skill, and it is important to keep good relationship and networking web).

I have a Disney musical CD for kids that brought kids to visit the only real dragon in the world...the komodo dragon. And if I am asking you to vote for this place, it is to pull the attention to the island. By pulling international attention to that place as a tourism object, it would perhaps ceased down the exploration of the possibility to build gold mining over there. Today's headline in printed Kompas (July 6) titled "The Real Dragon is in Danger".

Even if there are gold over there...which one is more important? The dragon or the gold? That komodo dragon's habitat is the only place in the whole world where we can find an animal titled dragon! Mutia Ridwan, one voter from Malaysia, in the website for the New7Wonders said that Komodo National Park is "...the only place on earth where you can find the real Jurassic Park." Yes, Jurassic Park is probably more famous than this real place on earth. We do need to help conserve it, will you care for it? "Nature and money" or "Money without nature"? That will be depending on the world's choice...

Note: Volunteer, Copyright

Just a note for readers who might be willing to share their time for a volunteer work in a health congress on AIDS. Today is the closing of registration but as an e-mail mentioned that it is still lack volunteers, I thought it would probably be possible to volunteer at the last minute, or perhaps two days late (as today is Saturday). If you are interested in helping, you can also read more information in English here.

I would like to link the article about "copy right" from printed Kompas here, to make it easier for me to search for it later.

Indonesian Muslims Pray for Michael Jackson

Only one news compete with the Indonesian electoral news, that is the news about Michael Jackson. His sudden death and all his other following news were on the television without stop. The grief and shock is not comparable to the situation when the world lost Lady Di, but it made the television spare some slot for his remembrance.

The news about Michael Jackson changed his religion (and changed his name to Mikail), and that he parted the world as a Muslim made it more hot news here. Today printed Warta Kota (July 4, 2009) presented a headline "Santri Tahlil untuk Jacko". Hudreds of "santri" (students in an Islamic school) from Pesantren Zainul Hasan Genggong , East Java, prayed for Jackson. A teacher quoted by the newspaper was saying that the prayer was aimed for Jacko as a Muslim, and if he did not converted to Islam then the prayer would not reach his soul, but those who pray will still get the benefit of praying.

Another news airing the voice of Zain Bhikha confirming in an interview that he was the one who sing the song Give Thanks to Allah, not Michael Jackson.

Perhaps it is not only Indonesian muslims who pray for him. The whole world would like to send a prayer for him, the one who had asked people share love to heal the world.

I was just finishing two books from Torey Hayden, "One Child" and "The Tiger's Child" when I heard that Michael has passed away. With his Neverland dream, I couldn't avoid thinking about a gifted child who had lost his youthful happiness.

Michael is not the only person that we are going to miss. My generation missed David Carradine (the one that I'll always remember as the good, humble and patient Kwai Chang Caine), and Farah Fawcett (one of the famous Charlie's Angels).

Let them rest in peace, and hoping that their memories will teach us how to build a better world.

One Spirit One Nation

The theme of this year blogger party is One Spirit One Nation. I would love to have it in Bahasa Indonesia rather than in English, but it was already decided. And it is probably easier to grab the whole "aspects of meaning" in a short sentence in English language than in Indonesian "Satu Jiwa Satu Bangsa". Actually "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" or "Unity in Diversity" is the best term for Indonesians, but one spirit and one nation is probably to show that bloggers are united in building the country. I am intentionally do not use the term Indonesian bloggers here, as we know that even international bloggers could also help Indonesians to build the country.

We can see the solidarity for Prita through the cyber world and the real world. It is a good example of being united to reach freedom of speech. It is more than only being one big family, it is also being one spirit...FREEDOM! Freedom for this nation (Indonesia) means that we should not forget our Pancasila shield, in which humanity, and social welfare are taken into account. Freedom to stand up with pride as a nation. The cyber space became one of the social control institution. It is also a way to enhance democratization. Not only in the nation, but also between nations. Hopefully other nations will also understand us as a nation which was build upon our diversities.

It's time that we really wake up, and see around us. The internet is opening its wide door to step into the world without really stepping outside your door. It is faster and easier to look out, to gain support and links. We are not staying only in the cyber world, that is why we should also go into the real world to build a better world. We are not only living in the cyber space, but we have our real world to tackle, perhaps that is how Pesta Blogger will exist...to make it real!

The party will be held in October. I think one important topic that can be given as a precious "goodie bag" is knowledge about ethics and laws in this flat universe of cyber space. I think we need guidance about intellectual rights, about ethics for airing opinion without defaming others, etc. Soon enough we are going to face the global world as a part of the international network. We should be able to know our rights and responsibilities as a part of the universe.

5 days to the Presidential Election

5 more days...
Thursday, July 2, there was a big demonstration in Makassar because local people were angry about a comment from Andi Alifian Mallarangeng who said that it is not the time yet for a Buginese to be a president (local online news is here, here, and here).

I do not have time to write down my feeling when I took those JP articles to link in my previous blog post. Ethnicity is not a good start for a campaign... We are Indonesians, Unity in Diversity..right?! Yet, being tolerant in handling the ethnicity and religions do have the important aspect in making a good leader.

I knew that choosing JK and Wiranto would probably help us to improve the Eastern part of Indonesia. Yet, JK is a businessman...would he pause for a minute to think about the social effect instead of only the economic promises?

Megawati and Prabowo are promising their constituents that they will work on the economy for the people, especially those in grassroot. And I think they will try to do it. Yet, there is a possibility that they can ended up like SBY-JK...

SBY and Boediono seemed to me to be the best choice right now, but there is also a very high chance that the minister position for the education and religion will go to PKS as their part of agreement. I can't see a bright future there...

One thing that I valued from our late ex-president Soeharto is his ability to choose the right person for the minister post. Listening to Emil Salim, or Joop Ave, even after they were not a minister anymore would still show their qualification, it would bring out the feeling of respect because they really know what they are talking about. Could we still have the same quality now? Is there a degradation in the education system that produce less qualified person? Or, is it the agreement between parties that forcing us to have the best candidate from a party (yet, not the best person needed for the position?)

Choosing a certain president and vice president would not give me a certainty that they will choose the right persons to help them. A president would not function well if his or her ministers are not working hard for the sake of the people. He or she would not show us a good track record if those who sit in the house of representatives are not thinking about the people they represented. It is a circle of a political system that would help RI 1 to perform the best.

I believe that all the three couples of candidate are nationalist. They will serve the country in their own way of approaches. Yet, which couple should we choose to help bring the best out for Indonesia?

A Birthday Present For Daily Kompas

The posting here was written as a birthday present for the printed daily Kompas. Yesterday was its 44th birthday. Not much older than me, but of course a lot more experienced and wiser than me...

It was also my first posting outside wikimu.com for the local readers. Kompasiana is the part of Kompas.com. Starting only as a blog for Kompas' journalists and invited writer, but later on it is also opening a section called public blog. I found it a bit different as it is in a style of a blog. It is also a bit different than the Kokiers that I've used to visit before.

I can't deny that Kompas has a lot of influence in me, as I was probably started my reading with Kompas. As an outlet of my postings I still prefer wikimu.com because I would like to get more input from readers of other medias. But a present should be presented to the one who celebrate the birthday...

It seems that the headlines for the birthday celebration were a bit sober, and the title of the party is "Ruwatan Pop". Ruwatan is Javanese word for spiritual procession to avoid bad luck or to get away from sorrowful period of life. Why they are performing the "ruwatan"? It could be for the bad economic situation, or to have a successful presidential election. But, it is not odd at all if it is for the sake of printed edition. Kompas is already entering the cyber world, so their existence is not really in the questioning position. Yet, they might be thinking about the printed daily.

I grew up with the print media. While joining the citizen journalism activities, I am still trying to grow reading habit in my kids. If I were using printed Kompas for my reading activities in my childhood, I am hoping that my sons' generation will learn how to speak and to write through the interactive cyber media while keeping to read printed newspapers, magazines, and books as well. I think the printed edition will survive, just like radio keep surviving television.

Today I found the special section "KANDIDAT" reporting about Megawati and Prabowo, tomorrow will be SBY and Boediono, and Wednesday would be JK and Wiranto. I like the psychological character approach towards the candidates. I am still one of those in the big crowd who doesn't know who should I choose while it is already 9 days to go...So for me this is the goodie bag of Kompas' birthday party...

Notes for the presidential election

I have read two articles that are worth reading. First one is from the Wednesday edition of the printed Jakarta Post (June 24, 2009) titled "The Chinese Indonesian dilemma in electing president". The second article is the headline from the next day edition "Minorities doubtful of freedom of religion".

Both articles are talking about minorities. From the first article the author concluded "In numbers, they (Chinese Indonesians) are very insignificant and their votes are actually quite expendable. But in economics, international relations, and social affairs, they are indispensable". This conclusion raised another opinion published on Sunday, 28 June 2009.

Prita is Free...Are We?

It's good to read that Prita is free...
I quoted Jakarta Post comment that apparantly her acquittal in defamation case is also the contribution of keen public support in the cyberworld and in the media.

Prita's case is an important study case for so many subjects. Wikimu contributors were seeing it through different point of views. One contributor saw it as a costumer service subject, another saw it as a subject of law, and of course as a citizen reporter I too have some notes to take. I share it in this posting. With so many outlets to voice out the voices of the citizen, it seems that citizen journalism is not worth keeping. Now, people tend to comment in Face Book rather than in the citizen journalism sites, or through twitter or plurk...But is it really like that? Why it is worth keeping? I think we should take Prita's case a learning case.

I'm also joining the cause to free Prita, because I think she has the right to complain and to share her feeling. Emotion is something that citizen would perhaps failed to recognized when uploading such a complain. Editorial is surely help in softened the tone of a complain letter. I'm not trying to make Prita a heroine, but I do think she doesn't deserve to be jailed for her personal e-mail.

Then, how about articles that were written in purpose for publication in the citizen journalism sites?

Antoher contributor was uploading his fear that Prita Mulyasari is free, but there will be another "Prita" in the next two years...The court only appealed that UU ITE law is not applicable yet, not at least until two years from now. And then? And how about other cases that are also on court but received small attention from the media?

And at the moment the health service is trying to get another law to protect hospital from being sued for damaged happened while they are trying to cure patient. This is also a bit tricky...We know that some people don't understand how complex the medical service is that is perhaps why hospital need legal immunity, but we should also remember that some hospital did not really care about their patients, especially those without fat pocket...and how about these patients' right to have save health service?

Missing muda mudi night...I'm not that young anymore...

Every year we grow older...so does the city...
Jakarta grows older a year...
it is now 482.

June 22 is the big day for Jakarta. I remembered the old days when we were having the Old Night long party on the street, Malam Muda Mudi (The night for the youth). It is just like the celebration of the New Year's eve in Singapore, or "le quatorze juillet" celebration in Paris...(May be Paris is not really like it, I remembered that people was concentrated only around Eiffel Tower)...where people enjoy the night at the street, free of car, fireworks on the sky...

I was still a small children when I joined those celebration. I remembered that my father's office was in a room near the Statue "Selamat Datang". It was a hotel room of Asoka Hotel, pulled down to give a land for EX building. We used to come with some food to his office and enjoy the merriment of all the youth who walked freely on the street. Sometime we've got visitors. I remembered that I've met my cousin who was (at that time) having his short period of study in a university in Bandung. Then, on the street we accidentally meet his other friends.

My childhood memory is not really good, but like a puzzle some came out clearly. I think they are the happy moments of my life.

I also remembered that every year I went to Pekan Raya Jakarta (PRJ). It was in Monas. Sometime we went there for several times during its opening (a whole month). I remember that we, chiildren, gained a lot of free cookies, candies, and other food and drink as a sample product from the stalls. Even before PRJ was moved to Kemayoran those samples tradition were already half gone, to gain free products you've got to buy some other products.

My brothers and I started to love Kerak Telor, the traditional Betawi food through our journeys to PRJ. Sadly, I am not continuing that family tradition going to PRJ, neither did one of my brother who already has kids. PRJ is different now...It's merely business, at least that is how I saw it. And my kids wouldn't think I treat them a fun family activity by going there, they will accuse me of looking out a chance to write a story for wikimu.

I read an article that PRJ could also be moved to Ancol. This year malam muda mudi was taken place in Kemayoran. Complaining how far it is in FB made me gained a comment from my junior high friend. "For young people it is not far..." Yeach, perhaps...yet my children is probably too young to think that it is not far. Beside, we are actually not living in Jakarta anymore. Another comment said that Senayan would be a better place for PRJ, I agree with this comment. With busway and shuttle bus around, perhaps it would be nice to have it there...Yet, we all have to leave our cars outside Senayan and not to cross Sudirman...Ouff...is it possible? Wow, town planning and town management are tough to handle!

My family moved to Jakarta in 1974, so I am as well Jakartanese at heart. Even my Makasarese dialect doesn't have the sound of a Makasarese. I adopted the Betawi tongue. My children now complaining of my habit saying "gue" and "elo" for "me" and "you" which is not polite according to their teacher at school. Who say so? I don't think so... it's a part of my daily language. Will it deteriorate my Bahasa Indonesia? Not in writing I think...

Now the couple that welcome visitors to Jakarta seems to loose in the middle of highrise buildings and the jammed traffic around them. I share this picture to wikimu readers while keeping the memory inside my heart (and blog...)

Children School Holiday

Visiting Carita was the first trip after the school holiday started, but actually my family did a trip together with some other family from our church community. We went to Cisarua to visit the organic farm managed by Father Agatho Elsener OFM.Cap. My family has visited this organic farm often, and sometimes we did enjoy Father Agatho hospitality through joining in the mass he celebrated with his small community of workers and guests. But having friends together with us means a lot for my children.

We visited the farm in the first week of June. All the kids seems enthusiastic to see another way of serving the Church. Not by having a church, but by having a large place to cultivate plants, and having so many kind of "strange animals" (it means worm, caterpillar, cricket, grasshopper, etc. Weird only to the eyes of the children from the big city like Jakarta...). Father Agatho challenged the children if they know where he came from. A fifth grader answered: "From Switzerland". "And where is Switzerland?" asked Father Agatho. A kindergarten girl answered with loud voice: "Belanda..." (Meaning Netherland) All laughed... Wow, from organic lesson we were also treated with geographic knowledge.

The parents who accompanied the children were more enthusiastic and amazed hearing that Father Agatho came from the family who own Victorinox. Who doesn't know Victorinox? Those very expensive brand from the Switzerland? And he left his family business to become a priest and a farmer here in Indonesia? But this one is not openly discussed in front of Father Agatho. Those who know the story told friends in soft voices.

No wonder if our group then gathered around Father Agatho asking for his signature on his postcard, like asking a signature from a television celebrity.

I don't have much to tell readers from wikimu about this journey as I intend to share it in my other blog, the one that is actually more on meditation and reflection as a Catholic. Yet, I share one picture to wikimu readers showing the kids enjoy cleaning up the carrot before packaging.

For more information about Father Agatho's organic farm you can visit this blog.

Mutiara Carita, a Place to View Krakatau....

I won a voucher for one free stay in a hotel suite of Mutiara Carita. I used to spend my holiday in Anyer and Carita, the northern coast of Java. It is actually a bit at the west...facing the Selat Sunda. This time I've got the experience of having it in the farthest location I've ever experienced. It means nearer to Krakatau.

Krakatau as the volcano was very famous. Its eruption in 1883 made the glory of the sun shine faded away... If we read the story in wikipedia about its history starting from the pre-history, it is really magnificent. I was lucky to be greeted by a clear view of Krakatau and its child, the Anak Krakatau, on my arrival. Anak Krakatau was "smoking" heavily. I posted the picture for wikimu while I was there, but I've got to enjoy the holiday first (and also cleaning up after it) before loading an article about the holiday over there.

I also have another picture about the flags playing proudly with the coastal wind, all colourful flags from political parties to the presidential candidates...which is in contrast with the grey picture of the vision of those "nelayan" (fishermen). I would love to write an article about these fishermen, but I don't have the time yet. And with this very slow connection, you should wait until I do have time to upload pictures in this blog...

Miss Indonesia Needs to Start Studying Bahasa Indonesia?

What would you think if you are introduced to Miss Indonesia in the event of Miss World? Wouldn't you automatically think that she is able to speak Bahasa Indonesia actively and know the Indonesian culture? Wouldn't it funny if Miss Indonesia needs translator to translate question in Indonesian language into English language to be able to understand the question?

We do need to verify if Miss Indonesia 2009 doesn't speak basic Bahasa Indonesia, but journalists were detecting that the crowned Miss Indonesia 2009 needs to start learning how to converse in Bahasa Indonesia and also to know more about Indonesian culture. Yet, the future of bright Indonesian generation would probably similar to Karenina Sunny Halim...they feel more at ease to communicate in English as their mother tongue. The international school label is something that most parents seek now, and that means speaking English or Chinese (Mandarin) language as the communication tool in school. Some family extended it into their home as it is the best way to learn using active language.

We do need the capability to speak other foreign language as a skill, but we should not forget our own language. This is the issue I raised in wikimu

I do not really get the feed back I'd like to have from wikimu readers, but posting it to Face Book gained me some comments. There is a friend who said that women should be smart, not only beautiful. She compare this case to Manohara Pinot, the Indonesian model who married the Prince from Kelantan. She said that the model is pretty but did not smart enough to avoid being abused by her husband.

I think the case is not about being beauty and not smart. I believed that the juries picked Karenina for her beauty, brain, and behaviour. Yet, brain is not similar to nationalism. During her twenty three year lifetime, she could not speak Bahasa Indonesia fluently, and all the sudden she said that bahasa Indonesia is easy to learn...she'll use the six months period before Miss World event to learn all the Indonesian thing. This cause a JP readers' snapped "Why don't we hire a foreigner to be Miss Indonesia?"

I did not write anything about Manohara. First, I don't really know the real fact. Then, household abused happened everywhere. Yet, it is not a matter of being smart or not. Women can make a bad choice for their partner in life, so does an underage girl of course!

Faces Charges For a Face Book Posting

A teacher from North Sulawesi faces charges for posting criticism in Face Book. I've got the news from The Jakarta Post.

Teacher faces charges, dismissal for posting criticism in Facebook

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 06/09/2009 5:30 PM | National
Another citizen is facing libel charges for posting criticism in popular online social network Facebook, in the wake of public outcry over controversial detention of a housewife in Tangerang for sharing her complaint about hospital services over the Internet.

Indra Sutriafi Pipil, a teacher of state vocational school in the North Sulawesi city of Kotamubagu, told Antara news agency on Tuesday he was also facing dismissal for allegedly defaming Mayor Djelantik Mokodompit.

In his Facebook account, Indra said of rampant “corruption of work hours” in the municipality administration office.

Kotamubagu police post chief First Insp. Muhammad Monoarfa said he had received a report filed by municipality administration and handed over the case to the local prosecutor’s office. Reports said that like the Tangerang housewife Prita Mulyasari, Indra would be charged under the 2008 Information and Electronic Transaction Law, which carries a maximum sentence of six years in jail.

Regional administration secretary Muhamad Mokoginta admitted the libel lawsuit filed against Indra, saying the teacher had discredited the administration.

“We reported the case to the law enforcers about last month,” he said.

The Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy revealed last week its latest survey, which ranked the bureaucracy in Indonesia the second worst in Asia.

Are we, Indonesians, having problem with criticism? Why can't we use criticism as a basic to build a better life? Or, perhaps because we can only criticize other people while forgetting that we should also be open to critics?

If any criticism can be charged with the UU ITE (Information and Electronic Transaction Law) we'll probably need to say good bye to blog, to citizen journalism, or even to the internet social networking...

Or we keep it only as a part to concentrate in making money...and more money...

Free Prita Mulyasari

I took the banner from this blog. I'm joining the cause to free Ibu Prita as I think it is important to keep freedom of speech.

There are some notes that we should take as a lesson from this case. Notes that would probably asked netizen to be more careful in writing out their complaints, not for being afraid to be sued like Ibu Prita, but to keep in mind that we are also prone to make mistakes. If we are the doctor whose name happened to be mentioned in a complaint letter published in the internet like that, wouldn't it ruin our future career? It could happened to anybody, not only to doctors, but to politician, to teachers (like the one I've mentioned in this post), to architects, to journalists, or to other professions. Young doctor could have his/her career terminated because of our emotional reaction.

I've seen the different effect coming from unedited letter to the edited version. Yet, as a costumer and as a citizen, I feel that Ibu Prita has the right to be angry. She was probably writing out her letter because she was not informed sufficiently by the hospital about her illness.

Lots of interesting articles shown both in the printed media and in the cyber space. I like the opinion from a medical record administrator printed in daily Kompas (Tuesday, 9 June 2009), "Prita, Apa Salahmu?". The medical record (or Dokumen Rekam Medis/DRM) is actually paid by the patient, and belong to the patient (family). As a costumer we have the right to have the copy of the medical record. Keeping a medical record to the hospital is something common here. Not only OMNI Hospital did it. A friend of mine was forced to lie that she was going back to Germany to get her medical record copy released by a private hospital in Jakarta. But, it was a long time ago, may be it is not happen anymore there (hopefully).

The opinion article gave us more insight on what should happened, and how it create the misunderstanding between patient and the hospital.

The basic foundation of relation is always TRUST. If the patient trust the doctor and the hospital, and the hospital (and doctors) trust the patient as their potential costumer in the future, then we can minimize communication problem. If the hospital treats its patient as a human being who deserves explanation of what was happening, then the letter would probably never written.

There are a lot of notes that I noted from this case; the freedom of speech, the costumer right of good service, the judicial procedure, the education sector, marketing effect, and also about citizen journalism (or at least about editorial of a blog post or an article). I hope I have time to talk about it next time. With the school vacation starting tomorrow I can't make any promise right now...

From a cyber letter into a real prison

A letter sent through the internet can lead you into the prison. The case of Prita Mulyasari, a mother with two little children, has proven that a personal letter through the internet could be a subject of the 2008 Law on Electronic Information and Transactions, article 27.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009, the Jakarta Post posted "Don't blame Internet law for Prita's detention: Official"

The legal adviser for the communications and information minister, Edmon Makarim, said Wednesday the libel case implicating housewife Prita Mulyasari could not justify calls for the revocation of the 2008 Law on Electronic Information and Transactions due to suspicion that it would stifle freedom of speech.

Prita is charged with Article 27 of the law after she sent an email containing her complaint about services at Omni International Hospital Alam Sutera in Tangerang, Banten.

“Don't judge the law if you don't know exactly what happened. The trial has not even started yet,” Edmon told a seminar at University of Indonesia in Depok, West Java.

“Who knows if there was a conspiracy behind the case? We know that the hospital business today is full of competition,” he added.

“I don't want to comment on Prita's particular case. The point is, if you transmit slander through the Internet, you are subject to criminal charges,” Edmon said. (bbs)

Prita was already in prison since May 13, 2009 (printed Kompas, June 4, 2009 "Kronologi Kasus Prita Mulyasari"). So, from May 13 to June 3, she was already in prison charges to the civil law. Which one? I don't really know, but to enter a prison (before the whole trial finished) should only be possible if the charges will put her more than five years in jail. The UU ITE charges is six years, so this is the law that put her into prison before her temporary released on June 3rd.

According to printed daily Kompas, the story started from August 7, 2009 at 20.30 WIB when Prita went to the emergency room of an international hospital in Alam Sutra, Serpong. She was having a fever for 3 days. Then, had her blood checked and the result was a very low thrombocyt, 27.000 per ul. She was diagnosed as DBD (dengue fever) and need to go for inhouse treatment in the hospital.

The problem lied in the result of the thrombocyt test, it was revised as 181.000 per ul, and the hospital could not produced the test result of the first informed 27.000 per ul. On August 12, Prita left the hospital and went into another hospital. I think the detail is not very important, if Prita accused the first hospital that her treatment there made her suffered and almost lost her sight, it should be proven by the medical record. Yet, she (and her family) agreed to be hospitalized in that hospital was probably on the basic of the low result of her thrombocyt test. They don't have the chance to think of other alternative. I think by spending five days in the hospital, they have shown that they trusted the hospital and their medical team. It turned out that they received only disappointment, in term of medical status, and in the communication with the medical team. Lots of hospital cases was actually made Indonesians prefer to go to the hospitals abroad. It is no use using "international" brand name if the service is not international class.

The story became more complicated as we do not know if the mail used as the evidence of this case is the one posted by Prita herself. She admitted sending a personal letter to her friends via e-mail, but how it ended up in the mail-listers' box was not even clear. A letter shown in detik.com was already edited, but the letter that was discussed in kaskus was still unedited.

As a citizen reporter, I think it is not very important who posted the letter. It is the right of the citizen to know such a bad treatment in an international health service. The important thing is that the letter was written by the person who experienced the hospital treatment. It is urgent that we know what was happening. I also prefer the real letter as it conveys names and position clearly. So I don't need to make a wrong guessing game, and it also helps me to know the real situation. If it is not true, then why don't the hospital write their own version of the story in the comment section? That's how a patient feel after the treatment. It is the task of its customer service to provide service that will make the patient and her family feel the essence of being a customer.

I think I would also feel being cheated if I was told that my test result was very low, and after signing the agreement to be hospitalized I could never assess that result test again. Did the hospital admit that their employee gave wrong information? How would they reacted if it happens to an expatriate or a foreign visitor?

I know that Dengue Fever needs some days before a doctor could really point it out as the reason of illness, but the thrombocyt result is important. Low thrombocyt could need donor. My husband had thrombocyt transfusion when he was having Dengue Fever. Yet, my brothers survived it in the 70s when the treatment is limited to help the body healed itself (they already had blood came in their urine and from the nose, we thought they won't survive it). My cousin was having Dengue without being hospitalized, but still under a doctor's control.

I think Prita and her family had the reason to be upset, and voicing it out as readers' letters or as a blog is nothing to do with disgracing a name of an institution. It should be viewed as a critic, and answered by giving better treatment to other patients. Using the ITE Law as the basic charges for treating a costumer complain is like threatening citizen from speaking out our critic, not only to private institution but also to the government. That is how we, as blogger, see that UU ITE is not really serving the people. May be the intention when composing it is good, but the implementation could be used wrongly and made people afraid to voice out their voices. Yes, the cyber world could bring you into the real prison...even if your cyber letter intended to warn people for a good reason!

Note:
A senior high school student contributed the news about the hospital intention to file a law suit in wikimu last year, see it here. The link in the article came from the readers' letter section in detik.com.

Prita spent quite some time in the prison before her temporary release, so I do think that journalists did not really continue covering the story. Without the cyber world this story won't be existed, but as citizen we will also loose our chance to know the news that we need to know. Without the cyber networking, we don't have the strength to voice out our support.

Other links:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/06/04/experts-testify-against-prita-ago.html

http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php?t=1037126

http://web.bisnis.com/senggang/kesehatan/1id18956.html

Menilik Akar, Nusantara Art Exhibition 2009

I went to Pameran Seni Rupa Nusantara 2009 only a day before the closing day. I did not have the chance to join the discussion. Usually I've got my father who will help me with to pick up the boys and look after them, but after his surgery I don't want to bother him too much (I still left the boys for some hours on week-end in my parents' house:)). The school's examination made my schedule tighter than ever...this year I've got three boys to prepare. I'm also going to miss the yearly seminar on environmental issues led by CCF(French Cultural Center) and some other institutions.

The exhibition was really something (read the article from the Jakarta Post here). The most important thing is that artists from all over the country have their chance to exhibit their art work in Galeri Nasional. I love one particular piece, Senandung Alam Pegunungan III. The Dayak girl and her musical instrument, together with all those symbolism on the design of her tattoo, her clothes, and her musical instrument attracted me. I've uploaded it to my picture in Face Book, and a friend from Kalimantan gave me the local name; sampe for the musical instrument, and hudong for the mask. Using Face Book this way is very useful, we are exchanging news and knowledge easier and faster. Why should forbidding people from using Face Book if we viewed it through the positive way?

I was also smiling when seeing a chess board with a little girl on it. This little girl is trying to pick up some lollies. The candy's wrapped by pictures of political party. Which one to choose? Will it taste as sweet as the promise it gives on the wrap? I've got to crop it for my Face Book photos (hoping that the artist won't mind that)...the cropped version shows the lollies closer...and made my mind wondering if the artist is giving a specific meaning by the position of the fingers, but seeing the whole painting is surely how it caught my attention in the first place.

I intend to write about this art exhibition for wikimu, but instead I wrote about Pancasila. The 1st June is the birthday of Pancasila. A friend was sending me an invitation to come to an event prepared in Fatmawati's house. Surely I couldn't go...freedom to go and and join all the activities that I love is not mine now...I've got lots of responsibilities so I've got only freedom to choose priorities.

Following my wandering mind, I wrote about Pancasila for wikimu.com but using the image of Super P-Boy (Super Pancasila Boy) that I found in Pameran Seni Rupa Nusantara 2009. The picture was chosen as the icon of "Menilik Akar" (main theme of the exhibition), and it does fit in the article. Seeking for the root also means that we are talking about a tree. If we are going to keep the growth of the Nusantara tree, then it is surely on boys and girls, the adult of the future. Then, we've got to remind ourselves about how important education is. And to remind ourselves about those who are responsible to ensure the education...ourselves!

Actually I've found a lot of interesting art pieces in this exhibition. And as I was there after my monthly visit to the National Museum, I became more interested in those who convey symbols. That's how the statue Tameng Bhuwana also came into my face book's pictures. I am wondering about the symbol it conveys. A few minutes before facing this statue, I was walking in the new ethnic room in Museum Nasional and found stories about Garuda and the fight for the holy water and some other symbols in Balinese art. So, I was curious about the special meaning of this statue, I found some information here. It tells about the guardian of the earth (bhuwana). Bhuwana agung (the environment) and Bhuwana alit (human being) should always in harmony. The weapon "Dewata Nawa Sanga" representing the Gods who guard each cardinal and intermediate directions.

The Dayak girl and the Super P Boy came from artists resided in Kalimantan, while the Tameng Bhuwana created by a lecturer from ISI Denpasar (Bali). I hope the internet will help talented artist to develop themselves without the need to migrate into big cities (especially not only to the capital city)...

Note: photos will be uploaded later.

The Victim of the System?

I know that being in the governmental circle is difficult to keep being clean and idealistic. And so does being a president. It should be taken as a sacrifice to the country to learn how to keep one's self doing their responsibility to the country and to the fellow countrymen without changing idealism...as it would be a very hard task!

Today I was greeted by the morning printed Kompas with its headline about the death of the former South Korean President, Roh Mo-hyun. It is something shocking as he was committed suicidal jump. Going to the online edition of Kompas I can read that Indonesian people is respecting him as this action show that he was really ashamed of the corruption he was accused of, and hoping that Indonesian officials can learn their lesson from him.

I don't know much about the late Roh Mo-hyun, but it is essential that whoever came into the political power, even as a legislative, remember that they should serve the people and be careful that they won't be the victim of the system. Money, power, and respect are the aspects that trigger people into temptation. Yet, they sometimes forget that gaining respect through money and power wouldn't last long...The saddest thing is when we can't make peace within our own heart...

Additional note (May 25, 2009): I've read this piece from OMNI, reciting the similar story from France, the suicide of the ex PM Beregovoy. I've noted this word from the citizen reporter "Suspecting him of corrupt behaviour was denying the man's core value, which proved fatal. Later investigations would find Beregovoy clean of any wrongdoings."

He then continues:

At his funeral, Francois Mitterrand, the president of France, gave one of his most powerful and personal speeches as tribute to his lost friend and lifetime political companion, and as warning to the dangerous path France was taking:

"No reason in this world can justify that the honor of a man and ultimately his life were thrown to dogs. His accusers have failed two fundamental laws of our Republic: to protect the dignity and liberty of each and every one of us."

By "dogs," Mitterrand meant the media. I remember watching him saying those harsh words with a voice shaking with emotion. Was Mitterrand overreacting? As a young student interested in the political life of my country, I also read critics of the President, arguing for the media's duty to uncover untold stories. I wasn't sure who was right.

I think as long as the media keep itself being objective, then the investigative story won't be leading into a false accusation. Citizen should also learn to judge news critically. Citizen journalism in this part is a way to share opinion, to give another way of seeing things, and to help the media to see another perspective from the citizen.

Learning More about Citizen Journalism

Hectic schedule made me a bit frustrated on providing time to write. I've still contributed some pictures but yet some other plans are kept in my mind...

I'm happy that a journalist based media worker had given me some questions on two articles I wrote for wikimu. She is doing her research for her master degree in journalism and was interested in analyzing those two articles. I'm happy because that way I can see which type of writing that took the interest of readers. Actually it would be nice to be able to know which type of article is interesting for common readers, and which one is interesting for those journalists. She promised me to send the soft copy of her thesis. At least I can see how interactive the article for her, and how did she grab my answers for her questions.

I've been watching how the media reacted to citizen journalism. I've also experienced how some media tried to use citizen journalism but only for their own sake. I'm not going to say which media are they. From the positive token, I think the Jakarta Post is an example from the media who used citizen journalism as a good interactive communication with its readers. An example of their balance reporting on opinion can also be seen in the articles about the annual memory of May Riot. After publishing an opinion writing that the writers have not forgotten it, which I paste in my previous posting, it was also published another opinion in a routine column of its Sunday edition.

Our national celebration of amnesia

Sun, 05/17/2009 1:36 PM | On the Town

As a scrawny high school kid in my red-checkered uniform with my black solidarity arm-band, I witnessed history in 1998. The euphoria of people-power was thick in the air of Jakarta.

We demanded reform, and we demanded the smiling tyrant be toppled from his 32-year reign. May 12 was a day of chaos. The streets of Jakarta were a battle ground. People screamed and threw rocks, while others looted everything from television sets to mattresses' and shampoo.

As the protest and mayhem escalated, the demand for Soeharto to step down reign was finally met. He announced his resignation with a big grin. The look was insulting: it was as though he believed he had done nothing wrong.

The old man proclaimed "ora pate'an", a Javanese phrase which means "nothing to lose" (whether he was president or not). Millions cheered in victory, but the damage was already done.

Contrary to Soeharto's claims, much was lost. Lives were lost. Buildings and businesses were destroyed. And my sisters were never the same after being violently raped.

Following the turmoil, blame games and cover-ups were thrown about on our television screens. The words "provocateurs" and "anarchy" suddenly became popular. Claims the mass action was provoked by a treacherous group connected to military generals was the word on the street.

Change, you ask? Reform became just another word in our history books. Certain parties reaped benefits from the revolution, while the majority of Indonesians gained nothing.

2009; eleven years later, some of the student activists who demanded reform have now joined the comfortable ranks of government, working for the very things they fought against in 1998.

The murders of university students during the protests remain unsolved to this day. Eleven years is a long time to wait for justice. However, it is not long enough for us, the generation that experienced it, to forget.

We were there. Why have we forgotten? Why have we ignored it, as if it never happened? Was it all in vain?

Last August, in celebration of Independence Day, a television station aired a 30 second bumper about national heroes. Along with Tjoet Njak Dien, Diponegoro, and those who fought against the colonialists for independence, was one man who made my heart stop: General Soeharto. Eleven years ago, he was a villain, a mass murderer, a man responsible for chaos. Now he is officially a TV hero. Men who a few years ago were implicated in the death and disappearances of students are now candidates in the presidential race, and they have a significant number of supporters.

Have we forgotten, or have we been conditioned to forget?

I have contacted several people involved in the 1998 riots and asked them to recall the events.

My then boyfriend was a high school student back in 1998. He wasn't an activist, nor was he directly involved in the action. But the atmosphere of the moment encouraged him to get involved in the euphoria.

"My school mates and I went to the University of Indonesia to join in the action, but we weren't taken seriously by the students. On our way back, we passed through an area where we saw a mass of people, got off the bus and joined in," he recalled.

Now he is a business executive. He hardly ever thinks about 1998 and is cynical of terms like "change" and "revolution".

"I think people who experienced 1998 have a reason to be apathetic. We saw that nothing really changed after the reform. Now we just do what we think is best for ourselves. The government will always remain the way it is," he said.

Lisa was also affected by the events of eleven years ago. She had her home looted by bunch of strange men. They broke in and accused her of hiding people in her house that was located near a big university.

"They kept asking *Where are you hiding them?' but I had no idea what they were talking about. We had an young son and we didn't want to fight back."

Now the Indonesian Idol fanatic claims to be disgusted by anything political. "Whenever there is political news or anything confronting on TV, I just change the channel. I don't give a shit. I just want to be a good wife and mother. As long as my family's happy, I'm happy." she said.

The "magic box" and its mind-numbing programs have proven to be an effective yet subtle lobotomizing tool. But can we blame apathy on the media alone? Every year, newspapers print stories related to the events of May 1998. Televisions air bumpers with dramatic musical scores portraying the events. As long as things remain the same, why should we expect people to care? Here in Jakarta, aside from a few political activists demanding justice for murder and rape victims, it is business as usual. Just yesterday, I served a coffee and a croissant to my regular customer, Rika, a senior student at Trisakti - the university where four students were shot dead on May 12, 1998. I asked her if her and her friends were commemorating the tragedy. "Maybe..I don't know. That's way before my time," she said hesitantly.

Oh well, can you really blame them for their apathy? For those of us who still care, families of the victims demanding justice for their losses - people who are still struggling for change you have my respect and support.

Keep loving and keep fighting.

- Kartika Jahja

That is what I do like from a media, the objectivity of seeing one topic. Both articles are against public amnesia, but the way it was presented were different. The second article was also including how the public amnesia could be developed.

Actually these other way of presenting stories made me thinking back into the case of our military action in East Timor and the truth that was seeking by the family of the Australian journalists. I've made a note as a citizen journalist before, and I think we can learn a lot of things if media keep their objectivity open to the public, and also hearing and digging into public opinions as well. And public opinion is actually the content of citizen journalism outlets.

The National Awakening Day

Today, a year after the centennial celebration of the National Awakening Day, we are facing another airplane accident. A military plane crash and killed 98 persons in Madiun (see the Jakarta Post today). The Jakarta Post published the comment of Indonesian Military chief, Gen. Djoko Santoso. He denied the accusation of commercialization of the flight service. While the general pointed out the unpredictable weather, it seems that rumours are gossiping about the lack of spare parts availability. Aren't we the nation who can build our own airplane? Why couldn't we produce our own spare parts?

Forgive and Forget

This one is taken from yesterday's printed JP:

Eleven years after the May riot: We have not forgotten

Maesy Angelina and Ricky Gunawan , JAKARTA | Tue, 05/12/2009 10:08 AM | Opinion

On this day (May 12) eleven years ago, Indonesia witnessed the killing of four Trisakti University students in an incident known ever since as the Trisakti Tragedy. This horrific tragedy was soon followed by an appalling riot.

A national and international audience watched the national tragedy on television, but the terror was much closer to Indonesian hearts. The killing triggered nationwide protests, which eventually forced Soeharto to step down from his 32-year dictatorial rule.

As Indonesians of Chinese descent that lived in a Chinese neighbourhood, we witnessed our parents and neighbours attempt to defend us by raising barricades around the complex as we felt the panic rising as the riots moved closer to our area. The fear was not just that our houses would be raided and scorched, but that Chinese women and girls would be brutally raped and that the men would be violently attacked.

The phone rang constantly – either from relatives asking whether we are safe or from neighbours warning that the rioters were nearing. We were lucky though, as the closest riot took place a few hundred meters away from where we lived. However, not all Indonesian Chinese citizens were that lucky.

Many people disappeared. Hundreds of houses and commercial buildings were burnt down and thousands of people lost their livelihoods. Worse, it has been estimated that thousands of people were killed during the three-day riot.

Hundreds of women were victims of extreme sexual violence. Those who were not directly affected suffered vicarious trauma and many fled Indonesia.

It took a while for the government to respond. It commissioned a fact finding team, which released its report in October 1998. The report acknowledged that the above atrocity took place, that a majority of victims were Chinese Indonesians and that the number of victims was not verifiable.

Both of us were teenagers back then, yet the tragedy has remained with us and to a certain degree influenced the paths we chose in our lives. Now that we are young adults who understand what human rights are, we want to ensure justice is served. We want the state provide reparations for the victims and see the perpetrators dealt with. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet.

Only two of the eight recommendations presented by the fact finding team have been addressed by the state. The ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Convention against Torture, as well as the passing of victims and witness protection law and the subsequent establishment of the agency are indeed progressive steps.

The support for the formation of the National Commission on Violence against Women is also appreciated. Even so, these things did not directly address the tragedy itself.

Direct recommendations, including a commission for the further investigation of the incident and the establishment of a database for victims have not been properly followed-up. Moreover, the two most crucial recommendations of prosecuting alleged perpetrators and providing remedy for victims have been blatantly ignored.

Some of the alleged perpetrators have been named in the report yet none of them have been effectively brought to the court. This clearly signifies the absence of the state’s good will to resolve human rights violations. If the state fails to comply with its obligations, it is crucial for society to take action.

While civil society has tirelessly urged the state to fulfil its obligations, it is essential public amnesia of the tragedy is actively prevented. Campaigns against amnesia on the issue are of the utmost importance. The fact that alleged perpetrators even gained significant support
in this year’s legislative election show that the public is either uninformed or does not care enough to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Initiatives such as the annual candlelight vigils or the weekly Silent Thursday (Kamisan), which are relentlessly attended by the families of the victims, are good examples of what have been done. But more importantly, advocacy for the inclusion of the May 1998 tragedy into the national educational curriculum is urgently needed to raise the awareness among younger generations.

We hope that voters do not to vote for alleged perpetrators who are running in the forthcoming presidential election. Casting your vote for such candidates would send a message to the state that the public does not consider the trial of alleged human rights violators important. Aside from condoning impunity, this also poses the threat of having human rights violation reoccurring in the future.

We consider this piece not mere opinion, but a principal message worthy of being spread by any means possible to as many people as possible. Those who survived, witnessed and remember the tragedy bear the responsibility to say never again – or nunca mas, as the Argentinians say.

We shall not forget, we shall not forgive — until justice is achieved.


Maesy Angelina is a feminist, youth activist and development worker.
Ricky Gunawan is a human rights activist and has an interest in the issues of civil and political rights.

Perhaps the only fact that I can add is that I am a nationalist, and hopefully will always be...yet that tragedy made me thinking so hard about where I stand, who am I, and it did shake me...

It would be easier to forgive those intellectual actors behind that tragedy than forgetting their sins, but the wound won't be healed in a short period of time...so forgetting this won't be an easy task...even after forgiving (whom to forgive????)

Actually I am speechless...