parasdunia

Pernah sakit digigit anjing? Pernah jatuh dari bus kota? Pernah kecolongan di kereta api? Rasanya semua penderitaan yang pernah kita rasakan, yang terburuk sekalipun, adalah tiada tandingnya terhadap apa yang terjadi akhir-akhir ini, di Indonesia. Saya baru saja pulang dari sebuah pelarian singkat ke negri seberang, Tibet dan Cina. Pelarian menuju inspirasi spiritual, di dalam hari-hari libur UI yang hanya sekejap saja itu. Tenang dan merasa seimbang di setiap pijakan di negri lain, tetapi begitu kembali saya tidak kuasa menahan semua berita yang ada di media.

Ba’asyir dilepaskan. Saya kira tidak ada kondisi yang lebih buruk. Saya tahu berita ini dari Coverage CNN yang diputar tiga kali sehari di setiap TV di hotel-hotel di Tibet dan Cina. Ternyata ketika sampailah saya di depan TV ruang keluarga di rumah, kondisi yang mengerikan, yang hampir tidak terbayangkan, bisa juga terjadi. Dari hal-hal kecil seperti Hughes yang melepaskan sorbannya, Ivan Gunawan sekarang berkumis, sampai ada orang yang mati terpanggang 700C di dalam ruangan yang seharusnya memberi mereka pengharapan, dan tentu saja, pencemaran banjir lumpur di Sidoarjo akibat PT Lapindo. Hitung-hitung lagi berapa lama saya meninggalkan Indonesia,, mungkin paling lama 12 hari. Benarkah? Rasanya seperti sudah bertahun-tahun. Semakin sedih dan semakin suram rasanya.

Enam tahun yang lalu, ayah saya berkunjung ke Cina. Dulu, di Beijing semua orang masih memakai sepeda kemana-mana. Rumah-rumah mereka pun berdempet-dempat tidak keruan karena kebanyakan manusia. Belum ada pembangunan apa-apa, dan boro-boro ada jalan raya di kota-kota kecil Tibet. Enam tahun kemudian, entah apa namanya. Keajaiban? Atau kebijaksanaan? Pembangunan di seluruh negri Chung Kuo itu tiada duanya. Intensifikasi infrastruktur bagaikan muncul begitu saja dari permukaan bumi. Semua orang sekarang memakai sepeda listrik, mobil built-up ramah lingkungan dimana-mana. Bahkan di kota paling terpencil di Tibet pun dibangun berderet-deret apartmen. Sungguh rapi dan teratur. Semuanya hanya dalam enam tahun.

Jadi sebenarnya, harapan untuk pembangunan itu ada. Kita berpikir kemajuan untuk Indonesia akan tercapai 10 tahun, 20 tahun lagi? Hah, kuno! Sebenarnya bisa saja kita bergerak cepat ke depan dan bukan ke belakang seperti yang terjadi sekarang ini. Hanya saja, tidak ada yang berani memulai. Tidak ada yang mengerti, harus mulai darimana. Yah tentu saja, kadang-kadang kalau kamar kita berantakan pun, kita cenderung tidur, karena pusing tidak tahu harus menatanya bagaimana. Kalau saya, begitu bangun tidur, biasanya saya mulai dari membersihkannya dulu. Bersihkan semua kekotoran yang ada dan bekerja keras untuk mencari sumber kekotoran itu sehingga tidak akan tercemar di spot yang sama. Huh, anak muda, hidup ini terlalu santai di Indonesia. Terlalu banyak berdiam diri. Bagaimana menurutmu? Apa sih yang harus benar-benar kita lakukan?

16th June 2006

Something really painful from http://www.smartraveller.gov.au

You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, due to the very high threat of terrorist attack. Ask yourself whether, given your own personal circumstances, you’re comfortable travelling to Indonesia including Bali, knowing that there is a very high threat from terrorism and you may be caught up in a terrorist attack. Ask yourself whether travel could be deferred or an alternative destination chosen. If, having considered these issues, you do decide to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, you should exercise extreme caution. If you are already in Indonesia, including Bali, and concerned for your safety, consider departing.

We continue to receive a stream of reporting indicating that terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests in Indonesia against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners. These reports include information about potentially heightened risk of attack on particular dates. Recent reports suggest Sunday 2 April 2006 could be a potential date for attack but we emphasise that attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia. In December 2005, Indonesian authorities warned publicly that terrorists in Indonesia may be planning to kidnap foreigners.

Attacks against Westerners in Bali and Jakarta indicate that these areas are a priority target for terrorists in Indonesia. Suicide attacks against locations frequented by foreigners in Bali and Jakarta such as the 1 October 2005 and 12 October 2002 Bali bombings and bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in September 2004 killed and injured many people. Westerners were also targeted in the bombing of a five-star hotel in central Jakarta in August 2003. Any popular tourist area or location known to be frequented by Westerners, including resort areas in Bali, is a potential target. We cannot rule out the possibility of another attack targeting Westerners, including Australians, anywhere in Indonesia.

In planning your activities, consider the kind of places known to be terrorist targets. Tourist areas and attractions throughout Indonesia, and tourists travelling to or from these places, including those in tour groups or tour buses, could also be targeted. In November 2005, Indonesian authorities stepped up security in the Tangkuban Perahu tourist park in West Java. Other possible terrorist targets in Indonesia include international hotels, clubs, sporting clubs and sporting venues, restaurants (including international fast food outlets), bars, cinemas, theatres, embassies, international schools, expatriate housing compounds, office buildings, churches and other places of worship, shopping centres, outdoor recreation events or identifiably western businesses and interests. The central business and embassy districts of Jakarta, other metropolitan and tourist centres and premises and symbols associated with the Indonesian Government are also possible targets. Western fast food outlets have been attacked by terrorists in the past and further attacks cannot be ruled out.

Airlines and transport hubs, including airports, may also be terrorist targets. The United States Transportation Security Administration has declared that Denpasar airport in Bali does not comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards on international aviation security. However, United States airlines are not precluded from flying to Bali. Qantas and Australian Airlines services continue to operate normally out of Bali and have additional security measures in place to meet ICAO security standards. If you are concerned about airline security you should contact your airline directly to ascertain what security measures it has in place.

An extremist website posting discussed possible terrorist tactics including terrorist attacks against foreigners in the Kuningan area of Jakarta, which includes buildings such as the Australian Embassy, the International Trade Centre, the Ambassador Mall, Menara, Rajawali, Menara Danamon and the JW Marriott Hotel. Pedestrians on footbridges and their approaches, including possibly the bridge across Jalan Rasuna Said near the Australian Embassy.

The Australian Embassy has advised its staff and their families to be particularly careful in how they travel or walk to and from the Embassy, including when using the Jalan Rasuna Said footbridge near the Embassy.

The extremist website also discussed possible terrorist attacks against foreigners at a range of other locations across Jakarta, including those in slow or stationary traffic such as at entrances to toll roads and carparks, at entertainment venues, shopping centres, sports venues, hotels, exhibition centres and/or the zoo.

Due to security concerns, security at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta is at a high level.