Cayman Islands

Do you know a song sung by the King of Convenience titled Cayman Islands? Several months ago I found the song and began to enjoy it so much. The song is so touchy and inspiring. There is a special part I like the most, here it is, “If only they have seen, if only they have been here..” [if I’m not mistaken]. O people, o rose, just like Kayam trickling good-taste wine down into a small cup in a silent bright morning. It fits to the name the singers take for their group: King of Convenience.

After wondering about the islands, I tried to google it, and here are some of their beautiful pics:

Let’s See How Indonesian Government Face the Cases

In a batch of transnational cases faced by Indonesian government, there are two newest among them that attract vast concern from its public. The first is the case of David Hartanto Widjaja’s death in Singapore, and the second is violative-indicated marriage between Indonesian Manohara Odilia Pinot and a Malaysian prince.

source: http://eddymesakh.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/jenazah-david-hartanto.jpg

The previous is getting more difficult since there are some indications that the death is not caused by what the Nanyang Technological University, the university where David studied, has published before. One of its indications is the odd condition of David’s body, where there are some scratches found on it. The other is the death of a university officer (if I am not mistaken, he is a lecturer assistant, originally from China) by committing suicide in his apartment in the university, that some people believe that it has a relation with David’s death. Some controversies arise. One said that David was not going to kill his professor, Mr. Chan Kap Luk (just like media firstly confirmed), indeed, he was the potential target of a murder. Regardless this controversy, the government should acknowledge this as a case of a crime, where David’s right as an Indonesian should be protected. This does not mean that the government should take, from the very begining, position that David should not be sentenced since he was the victim, but all of probabilites about this case is open. That’s why, government should pay more attention, and in some points, give emphasis to the government of Singapore that the process should be progressive.

source: http://jakartasocial.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/mano4.jpg

It also juxtaposes Manohara’s case. Yes, she is alive now, but her mother get some information, one from a phone call with Mano herself, that there is something wrong with her daughter’s marriage. Until now, Mano’s mom can not contact her. The relations among a mom and her daughter was cut. Even, she found information that Mano got bad treatment from her husband and, non-physically, by her husband’s family. I don’t really understand this (that’s why probably I have to understand first the system of Malaysian Kingdom), but from humanity point of view, what the Royal family has done to Mano is inhumane. Again, the government should be active in facing this case, regarding that, first, Indonesia and Malaysia have different legal sytem, and second, even if there is not any law (like in Indonesia where there is a protection under the law for the persons have been being in a family, or what we recognize as “Perlindungan terhadap Kekerasan dalam Rumah Tangga”) which concern to that protection in Malaysian system, the case is still serious since it violates the basic value of human being: no one could cut one’s relations with his or her mom, dad, or any other family members off.

So, I belive that there are a lot of international law experts in the Department of Foreign Affairs. What we need today is a serious concern of them to the cases so Indonesian will feel more secure for living out of their beloved country.

Supra-natural Candidacy

Let’s take a look at our television programs recently.. Most of them are competing to provide as detail information as possible to the public about the upcoming general election. Debates among legislature candidates; profiles of parties; and mass-crowded campaign are some. In this 4 days to the day of election [pencontrengan], many parties, especially those recognized as big parties, show their “power” by coloring Gelora Bung Karno and any other large area around Indonesia. But, are we sure that mass coming to the campaign is really showing their sympathy? No, I am not..

This is what I will call as supra-natural candidacy. Once I went to Bandung, in a bus, there was a man talking about a campaign of a big party which at that time trapped the bus in a jam because of its crowd. He told me that people coming, crowding, the campaign had received money from the party. Each person got Rp. 20.000,00. For those who used motorcycle, which means consist of two persons, would get Rp. 50.000,00. He made it real by saying that he was one of the people in his region who were offered the money. I was surprised, although not really. One made me surprised at the time was the number of person coming to the campaign. I predicted there were thousands of people marching on the road, going to Gazebo. If one person can get at least Rp. 20.000,00, then how much the committee should provide money totally?

Some people wore t-shirt stated the name of legislature candidate. I believe that the money came from them, from the candidates. The question is, are they rich entirely? Or, if not, how come they provide such huge amount of money?

No matter what the question is, I still wonder that parties and their candidates get plausible attention from the people like what I saw. It’s a supra-natural candidacy, isn’t it? You don’t have to know the persons, you don’t have to convince them with your programs and vision, but you will get a massive shout and yell for you,, amazing!