You look at today’s gaming culture in Indonesia and you will see a lot of online social games, such as golf game Pangya, shooting gallery
Gunbound or ridiculous dancing game Idol Street Online. I look at these games and weep.

What happened to all those kids who used to play Counterstrike or Quake or all those first-person shooters that provided an immersive perspective of the gaming world? These games not only increased your reflexes or hand eye coordination but they also promoted teamwork and a sense of community.

Of course, all games today do the same thing but something is missing.

I play games such as Team Fortress 2 or Day of Defeat: Source online, with other players across the region since there are very few in Indonesian players, and truly feel transported into another world.

Day of Defeat is a game where you play either an American or German soldier in World War II. Yet looking on the screen, listening to the crackling radio from command HQ and hearing the snow crunch under your feet truly makes you feel that you are in the battlefield. Like a digital game of capture the flag, you can spend hours in stalemate trying to capture that last 50 m to win the game, yet like in real life, sometimes you just can’t.

What’s more, other countries are playing games online and in competition against each other using top branded games such as Star Craft and Counterstrike. Unfortunately, we are lacking the human capital to compete at their level. So what are we going to do about it?

“Armed robbery is on the increase in Monrovia and we are not convinced that our police force can handle this type of crime,” said a community leader in the crime-prone suburb of Paynesville in the east of Monrovia where locals have formed patrols.

In another Monrovia suburb, New Kru Town, Nyononti Darbgeh, who supervises a civilian night patrol team there, said the situation is so bad, “We have no choice but to provide security for ourselves.”

The UN and Liberian police officials in Monrovia confirmed that crime has been steadily increasing in recent months with 47 reported cases of violent assault and theft from March to April.?? Just yesterday night, I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity to witness and documenting the on-going night patrols implemented jointly by the Indian Formed Female Police Unit and the Liberian National Police, strolling the night walking the dark passages, of the inner avenues and alleyway in areas like Sinkor, Congo Town and downtown Monrovia.

That particular night, there was 5 units of joint patrols, each unit consist of 4-5 Indian Police women officer, fully geared with helmets, protective vest and of course - the assault rifle and tear gas cannisters, while the Liberian counterpart remain unarmed. There are foot and vehicular patrols, executed every night covering most areas of the city of Monrovia led by the Indian female formed-police unit.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which has been overseeing security in the war-ravaged country, started a programme in 2004 to train 3,500 police by June 2007 and police officials shared to the newspaper in Liberia that that number has since increased to 6,000.?? The national police is still undergoing series of on-going revitalization and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been assisting in implementing a national crime prevention strategy.

However, what I can sense through various people I talked with, they say that community leaders feel worried/concerned once UNMIL downsizes its 15,000-strong force which is planned to start in September 2008. I can imagine how the crime rate especially armed robbery would be worsening.

Addressing the issue, as put on the news that training of an elite team of 500 police officers will soon be undertaken by DynCorp, a private American security contractor. Whereby the Quick Reaction Unit [QRU], as the team will be called, will be trained by leading international police trainers to tackle-down armed threats.

As we walked further, in that night patrols, I also chatted with few of the Indian formed police women. One patrol leader said that crime actions normally takes place beyond midnight to dawn, ranging from small burglary to murder. The local people whom we passed on our patrol route expressed their appreciations to the fact that we are safeguarding their nights and able to sleep better.

Apart from the effort borne by UNMIL and the Liberian police authority, still the securing the neighborhood remain the sole responsibility of the people who lives there. What would you say if this same situation happens in your community, care to share your thoughts?

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Modern lifestyle is known to be quite monotonous and routine. Many people work, live, and even breathe on cruise-control auto-pilot mode. Those who follow the rules are oftentimes stamped as “good gatekeepers” and those who despise and challenge the rules are known as “rebels” and “dissidents.” Just like a driving recommendation by California State?s Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), in which a driver must follow the current freeway traffic speed to avoid accidents regardless of the official speed limit, living has been more or less quite like that.

Living a drone-like existence might not be inevitable, but human beings are, by nature, restless creatures, who would need to find a balance between mind and heart, between righteousness and wickedness, between banality and pertinence, and between savagery and compassion. When it is time to choose, oftentimes theology comes into play. Without a balanced perspective between intellect and affection in understanding theology, which is oftentimes regarded as the “divine voices”, many people have been victimized by dogmatic elements, leaving helplessness and restlessness to widespread even deeper.

The phrase “banality of evil” was coined by Hannah Arendt in 1963 to describe the notion of ordinary people who have consciously or subconsciously accepted the premises of their state and participated actively without questioning the overlaying principles. A corrupt and self-righteous world that we live in today is a clear example of how the majority of human beings have accepted this concept without much reservation, or at least, without much contemplation on the true purposes of life.

And it is saddening that in this 21^st century, in which humankind has proven the heresy by Galileo that the earth is not the center of the universe to be true, to hear from those who are fluent and call themselves “experts” in theology approving the killings of and hating our neighbors as if they were the only ones who are entitled to the world. Good thing is, we do not need to simply be silent and accept banality as the norm to follow without any reservation. After all, human beings are both intellect and affective beings. We think and feel at the same time and we have strong empathy towards others, whoever they are.

Karen Armstrong, a prolific author in religion once wrote in The Spiral Staircase (pg. 293), “The one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express this sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God’s name, it was bad theology”.

And faith, whatever ours is, was designed to unfold our childlike innocent, positive, and upbeat qualities, regardless of our age and experiences. Good theology would assist in our journey to find our inner child. A child who is accepting to goodness and believes in the goodness of others and him or herself. After all, we were designed to operate on old-fashioned manual mode: by thinking, reflecting, and contemplating, not on cruise-control automated mode.

Whether you believe in Judgment Day, Reincarnation, or Nirvana, think before saying or doing anything. Those Neuro Linguistic Programmers (NLP) might call it re-wiring our mind through thoughts. Whatever you believe, do not disappoint yourself now or later. “You only live once, if you do it right, once is enough,” said the late silver screen actress, playwright, and screenwriter siren Mae West.

Today?s clashes of things, a terminology coined by the famous and, at the same time, notorious Samuel Huntington, might not need to occur in the first place provided that we were aware of the choices we could have made as the most intelligent creature on planet earth. And it is still not too late to criticize ourselves and to make amends when it is still possible. The clashes can and will be stopped because there are no other alternatives if we are to prevail as human race without being self-destructive.

It might be hard to criticize ourselves without criticizing others, but it can be done with awareness and peaceful opened heart and mind. Any preconceived notion of anything should not be used against our future, but should be consciously constructed to channel our inner wisdom. It certainly does not require a degree in theology to practice good theology. A simple common sense would do just fine.

At last, do not preach, just do good things. Be good ambassadors of our faiths and communities. Be aware and be mindful of consequences. And whenever you are in doubt, do not choose banality. Choose compassion.

Note: Show our solidarity to victims and survivors of May 1998 Tragedy in Indonesia by signing the petition at PeacefulIndonesia.com/petition/

Indonesian culture and laws reflect a utopian message that men and women live in harmony, in an environment that each gender understands and executes their responsibilities wisely. In this notion, men serve as the heads of the family, the protectors, and the breadwinners, while women as the caretakers of the family members and caring mothers. Alas, not everyone is wise both as a person and an individual of a certain gender, the world is not perfect, and Indonesia is not a utopia, thus such image of perfection is merely a mirage, which comes with consequences.

Today is the 21st century, the era of globalization that Joseph E. Stiglitz has been advocating for fair trade. It is the era in which Web 2.0 citizen journalism has emerged into citizen diplomacy with its real-time technological apparatus that have changed the global culture on digerati and quotidian communities’ levels. It is the era in which women have to work as hard as, or even harder than men, to make differences at world level, not merely for their own families. It is the era that women are equally important politically, socially, economically, and individually.

Yet we can see clearly that Indonesia has not reached a point where both genders unite as one to thrust the nation’s well-being through individual contributions, as there are discriminatory laws and discriminatory actions against women based on various imbalanced, unjust, and unfair fundamentals. Such conditions hinder Indonesia as a nation to strive forward by optimizing, if not maximizing its human capital, of which half of the population are females, as cited from CIA Factbook.

According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Indonesia’s constitution guarantees the equality of women, which is good news. However, there are many laws that clearly discriminate women from the other gender. Cited from UNIFEM, “These laws include family and marriage, including polygamy; age for marriage; divorce and the requirement that a wife obtain her husband’s consent for a passport; economic rights, including ownership and inheritance of land; access to loans and credits; entitlement to social, health and other benefits in the labor sector and the requirement that a wife obtain her husband’s consent for night employment; health, including the requirement that the wife obtain her husband’s consent with regard to sterilization or abortion, even when her life is in danger. As workers, women generally receive lower wages than men; in some industries, female employees are hired as daily laborers, allowing employers to avoid the extension of benefits. Women’s literacy rates and health status are generally lower than men’s. Muslim women face particular obstacles to equality before shari’a courts.”

Working women of all socio-economic-religio statuses also must face higher taxation according to Law no. 17/2000, in which they will be paying the undeducted tax rate as “singles” unless they can show a proof, which must be signed and approved by their husbands and sub-district authorities that they indeed carry the financial burden of the family.

Based on the required consent from husbands for married women to engage in public and private agreements while men have full authority to act on their own without any restrictions, it is evident that the Indonesian law, which is a reflection of the culture, places men’s status above women. In short, women in Indonesia are “the other gender.” The sidekick. The helper. The assistant. The one who must obey.

Does it make any sense in today’s world? There are some arguments as of why women are placed “under the protection” of men. Women have reproductive functions that should be protected. Women are “weaker” biologically. Women are destined by the Divine Power, whoever or whatever the definition is, to be the gatekeeper and the caretaker of homes and families. Women are men’s lovers; women are men’s sweethearts whom they adore so much, thus should always be within the protection, care, and supervision of men so they can make sure that women are taken care for.

Those arguments may sound making some sense to those who romanticize gender relationship. Nonetheless, they place women in the so-called “golden cage,” or better yet “invisible cage.” Such arguments usually serve as the foundations of religious, legal, and cultural acts against women, be they acknowledged officially, consciously, or not. And such cage is confinement in its full meaning of the word.

Indonesia has ratified UN’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1980. CEDAW itself is adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and often described as an international bill of rights for women. It consists of a preamble and 30 articles, and defines what constitutes discrimination against women. In addition, it sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.

Cited from the United Nation’s site, The Convention defines discrimination against women as “…any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”

Thus, the logical and legal consequence of accepting the Convention is committing itself to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms.

First, to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women. Second, to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination. At last, to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises. We are yet to see the first measure to take place.

At last, while it may take years for Indonesian government to make changes and adjustments to existing laws, the society should be aware of shifting roles between the two genders. The old paradigm that the man of the house is the sole provider and the sole protector of the family should be mindfully and wisely changed, even though not in all families. Many women have to become breadwinners, be they choose so or not. And whatever their reasons are, it is time for the society to accept this phenomenon and to acknowledge them as equal partners.

It is not about being feminists, but more urgently, is about being acknowledged as equal human beings. In addition, today’s men should also be aware of their share in the role shift: the rise of masculinism.

A true man is not one who loves his woman by confining her with his authority, but one who frees her and wishes her a responsible independence.

Having been here for over 3 years, seeing the reality that is beyond bites, I must say that it has never been easy to be women in Liberia. With all sort of task to keep the family in one piece and at often times playing the role of a bread-winner, struggling to make a living.

Some whom I met have lost their spouse, because of the war or never came back for a lot of different reasons. Those who decided to comeback from being refugees, has to start from scratch back to square one building what the can get one day at a time. Truly an amazing test, the strong will and determination made them capable and later on succeeded in making things better. Some started to open a small business selling stuffs, or similar - like this lady with her breakfast stand, catering scrambled egg and a cup of hot-choco in the morning for those left the house without breakfast while wait for the public transportation they go for a quick bite and gulp.

I see many women taking their kids along to their daily dwelling; babies are often carried on their back. I guess mommy has to do some work to make a living. Some shots below could tell of how the trouble and difficulties women have to make in their daily life.

This situation was once a dark-traumatic one. As Liberia went through a brutal armed conflict, violence against women was beyond belief.

Violence against women is defined by the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1993, as “any act of gender-based violence (GBV) that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”. It is a form of gender-based violence and includes sexual violence.

A story from the DR Congo from IRIN Website:

As Elizabeth and her captors arrived at the militia camp, she realized that dozens of other girls had also been kidnapped. “When we got there we were so many,” she said. “We were taken into the bush, when a big man came and took me.”

Life with the Mayi Mayi, an ethnic milita, was a nightmare of almost continuous abuse. “All they did was come and ‘take’ us often. They used to tie up the women and tie their husbands to trees then take us [the girls],” the 17-year-old told IRIN.” I stayed with them for so long and it didn’t matter any more who took me.”

Elizabeth’s ordeal happened in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but it could well have been in Sierra Leone, Liberia or a variety of other countries. Wherever there is armed conflict, there are stories like hers, stories of rape, of trauma; stories of unimaginable horror, of girls and women who have been gang-raped, held indefinitely as sex-slaves, beaten, mutilated, killed. Sometimes the victims are in their 70s or 80s, sometimes they are younger women, or teenagers. Some are as young as six months old.

It is indeed a very tragic and awful experience.

In Liberia, nowadays more attention has been given to the empowerment of women, which to include protection to women’s right against domestic violence and gender-based violence. As public campaign has been actively promoted through the media, more women are now understands of their rights and education to girls are actively encouraged.

Sexual violence includes sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. It refers to any act, attempt, or threat of a sexual nature that result, or is likely to result in, physical, psychological and emotional harm. Sexual violence is a form of gender-based violence.

Expanded Definition of Sexual and Gender-based Violence used by the UNHCR and implementing partners, Article 2 of the UN General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (1993):

“Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
2. Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;
3. Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.”

As UN staff working in the mission, we are also being given training on GBV and related issues. I am confident that days to come, Liberia will get much better and the women will be well empowered.

After a chain of tense selections, today ABN has just been approved as one of the official media to cover the events of Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2008. This international annual jazz event will take place this month, from 7 to 9 March 2008, in Jakarta Convention Center.

This is considered as a breakthrough for the ABN. For this grand event, this year ABN will specifically send one of its blogger, Benny Chandra, as a reporter. Benny Chandra, a daily blog writer on ABN Musik Indonesia channel, has previously reported some jazz musical events. Now he will report directly from the event location. Be prepared! The reader of ABN Musik Indonesia channel could now get in touch with current events in Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2008, in texts and pictures, only at http://mymusicblogging.com/musikindonesia

Such occurrences are understandable, even when fundamentalism and radicalism movements find it an opportunity to use the momentum in making their marks. The fall of Suharto in 1998, which was believed to be the best thing that ever happened to Indonesia at that time, has not been able to create a more trustworthy government today, despite the recent Democracy Award.

Today, it is very hard for citizens to trust their well-being in the hands of central and local government officials whose integrity is questionable. It is known that not all Indonesian officials are corrupt or untrustworthy, but a simple poll or survey could have been proven the assertion that many, if not most, of them are. It is an embarrassing fact that many officials, including those who are posted in foreign countries –thus are assumed to be of “international standard” in handling diplomatic issues with the host country and Indonesian community members residing there?have yet to show their best qualities.

Last year, in a World Affairs Forum seminar in San Francisco, in which Prof. Donald Emmerson of Stanford University’s SEAF was present, the current Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadingningrat, was asked a simple question, “How is the current state of minorities in Indonesia?” He answered in an astonishing manner, which was an affront to his own intelligence, “There is no more minority issue, we now have Imlek (Chinese New Year) celebration.” Sure, it is a good point and it is well taken.

Another question was asked on the raise of radicalism and fundamentalism movements in Indonesia, which he answered, “Only one percent of radicals and fundamentalists in the midst of more than 230 million people who are moderates, so why bother? Let ?the market’ determines.” As concerned citizens, the seminar participants were astonished. One of them was surprised, “Does it mean anarchy?” Still, he reiterated his answer.

Many of the seminar participants were politically literate people and we were disappointed to hear that. We know what to expect when one asks such a question. Alas, the Excellency Mr. Ambassador perhaps has been used to with constituents who are not politically literate, which could be in the number of hundreds of millions in Indonesia.

For us all, the citizens of Indonesia and the world, to understand how we are represented by the government, we need to educate ourselves to become literate politically. At this point, it might be a wishful thinking for Indonesian government to educate us because, apparently, many of the officials are not statesmen in the truest meaning of the word. It is very hard to find honest statesmen like the late founding father Dr. Muhammad Hatta and Prof. Dr. Daoed Joesoef nowadays.

Educating ourselves to be politically literate in a democratic country is quite simple. And by “political literacy,” it refers to a set of skills necessary for citizens to participate in society’s government. In short, there are abilities what we all need to master, so we can stand tall in front of those government officials who may have prejudices against their constituents and behave not in a respectable manner. It does not mean we aim to be a career politician, but to think and to act as an informed constituent. After all, those government officials cannot become who they are without us.

First and foremost, representation. A citizen is the one with power, hence being a constituent. The notion of a “government official” should be separated from the notion a “government.” In the minds of constituents, it is imperative that we see the “government” as a group of people who have received a special mandate from the people to act on their behalf. Thus, the real power lies in the hands of the people, in our hands.

Second, participation. In a democratic country, no matter how patriarchy the culture is, every individual regardless of age, gender, and other social backgrounds is equal before the law. Thus, when there are laws that do not adhere to this fundamental principle, they are not acceptable and we can change them with a strong will that are channeled properly. In the United States, the power of writing is one of the most useful. With people-managed petitions, there are many things that can be accomplished. Perseverance, of course, is likely to pay off. The key is a winner’s mentality in attesting our conviction.

Third, recognizing bias and “framing” statements. Politicians are notorious for their ability to say things with metaphors and pretentious dictions, as George Orwell said in his masterpiece Politics and the English Language. He said, “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation, even among people who should and do know better.”

Fourth, the rule of law and legal systems. The simplest form of the rule of law is that no one is above the law. And the highest form of ethics is the truth. Truth must be honored in the highest manner, not dishonesty in any manner. In Indonesia, there are three legal systems –western continental, Islamic, and native adat — that clearly show how the society is not only stratified but compartmentalized. Horizontally and vertically. Understanding the history and how each legal system came into existence is key in understanding the current and predicting the future state of Indonesian laws and regulations. After all, a civilized society is one that is ruled by law.

At last, let me cite John Wayne who said to John F. Kennedy, the elected president whom he did not vote, “I didn’t vote for him, but he is my president. I hope he does a good job.” And by being politically literate constituents, we are one step closer to a more just society where people’s equality is not merely rhetoric but a reality for all to enjoy.

A good female (non-American) friend I have not seen in a long time sent me three text messages out of the blue:

Wimar, what is this! I’m pro-hilary!

Despite being the hottest man in modern politics, obama is a pling-plang flip flopper!

:-) everyone has gone obama crazy!

Obama FAQ by Wimar Witoelar

• Who do you like, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?
  Both, actually. Anyone other than George W. Bush gives me relief. But the further away from Bush we can get, the better. That is why Obama is better than Clinton and Clinton is better than McCain.
• What would be the most important message from an Obama victory?
  That the majority of Americans do have common sense after all.
• Do you think Obama is a great man?
  He is an extremely skilled politician and a polished public speaker. He will be a great man if greatness is thrust upon him by the American people.
• Are you excited that someone who lived in Indonesia could be the next US president?
  To be honest it gives us quite a thrill. We find it difficult to produce great leaders for ourselves so it will be great to produce a President of the USA. I hope he will invite an Indonesian to his inauguration, and I hope it will be me.
• How will Obama be a better US president because of his Indonesian experience?
  We are sure he will be conscious of the fact that Indonesia is a place of people, of pluralistic values which no doubt have contributed to Obama’s own pluralistic values. He will respect the Indonesian people as much as the Indonesian government.
• Do you mind terribly that Obama’s Indonesian background is being used against him?
  I don’t take it personally. It is part of the barrier of exclusivity that President George W. Bush built up since September 11.
• What effect do you think Obama’s election would have on the US image?
  It would immediately improve America’s popularity rating. The George W. Bush years will seem like a bad dream. It will reaffirm our faith that America is the land of great people and great ideas.
• So how emotional do you get over Obama?
  He gives me a nice feeling of hope and world peace. But personally I am more driven my issues which are not in the realm of politics, let alone American elections where I am not a voter. Let Americans get back to their senses and I will accept the results happily. In the meantime, we have plenty of problems around here. Not to mention my own complicated, albeit happy, life. :)

So, dear J, chill out.

This article was firstly published by Perspektif Online. Re-posted for Asia Blogging with permission. Thank you Pak Wimar!

According to media reports, the state-sanctioned Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia, or the Indonesian Journalists Association, organized the event and invited Suharto to deliver the keynote address.

“If there are values, that are against ours, succeeded in penetrating (our society), the press should increase national awareness about their danger and show ways how to end them,” said Suharto. He talked at length about what he called “Pancasila journalism.”

What the media didn’t relate was that three years earlier, Suharto had ordered the closure of three news weeklies: Detik, Editor and Tempo. Suharto also jailed some journalists protesting the closure. He won many street protests and international condemnation. But the PWI issued a statement, saying that it “understood” the banning rationale. A PWI executive also blacklisted 13 journalists, who signed a declaration to establish an independent journalist union.

As if trying to lick the ass of the dictator, PWI executives asked Suharto to lecture the media executives on the “National Press Day.” Suharto happily asked the media to impose self-censorship, saying that the media should filter “foreign values” and enhance “national awareness.”

But Suharto was at the end of his rule. The Asian economic crisis hit Indonesia five months later. In May 1998, Suharto was forced to step down from his 32-year dictatorship amidst massive street protests and spiraling rupiahs.

Now let’s move forward to February 2008. A new president was also invited to deliver a keynote speech at the same “National Press Day,” by the same journalists association: the PWI. This time, the commemoration was held in Semarang.

Suharto is already dead in his mausoleum in Solo. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also an (retired) army general and a former aide to Suharto, is now the president.

In his speech, President Yudhoyono asked the media to exercise “self-censorship,” saying that it should be improved by only reporting “appropriate” news.

“Bans and (state) censorship of the press no longer exist in our country. The press has achieved the freedom it fought for, but the freedom is not absolute,” he told some 500 top editors.

“It is the press that should control itself for the good of the nation. The people want the press to provide accurate and objective information,” Yudhoyono said.

He criticized some media. “They only think of practical interests. Please don’t be like that. Don’t be too partisan because the word ‘too’ is clearly not good.” He added the media should maintain its independence by not getting involved in business or political interests.

Interestingly, Tarman Azzam, the PWI president who hosted Yudhoyono, is also a politician. Azzam is a Golkar legislator. In 1994, Azzam was also the PWI executive who blacklisted the 13 journalists and asked the police to jail three reporters.

Probably both Yudhoyono and the editors should learn from Bill Moyers, a New York television host, who said that what’s important for journalists is not how close they are to power but how close they are to reality. As long as journalists and politicians don’t practice that, I’m afraid, history will repeat itself.