Nuraina,the people of Indonesia have been getting the brunt of the law and the rich tycoons as far back as memory can recall.It was a wild country all along,caused by rampant corruption starting at the time of Sukarno.
I could still remember that during the sixties and early seventies, Medan was a cowboy town.Most of the gang leaders of the notorious thugs,robbers and rapists alike were children from well to do,rich families.Robberies,kidnapping,shakedown of businesses were all done in broad daylight.
Because the families of these gangsters were rich business people,they have the top law enforcement officials in their pockets.And their children were left untouched.Things were getting so worse that tourists were shunning Medan.
Jakarta had no alternatives and eventually the death squad,consisting of elite special forces personnel were formed.The gang leaders were excecuted and the bodies were thrown all over different counties.Those that escaped the dragnet disapeared and have never been seen.Of course Jakarta has denied that it was behind the killings.
In the middle eighties,I was asked to commisioned a woodworking factory in Tebing Tinggi,about sixty miles outside Medan city.From the airport tarmac we were directed to the building where immigration and customs were stationed.
My temporary boss,as he was paying me when I was there,was waiting outside the building,and waved to me.He asked for my passport and directed me to wait next to the customs counter.He just walked past all the immigration officers,into the office,came out a few minutes later with my passport stamped.Showed it to the customs and off we go.Of course I was amazed.
Then at the factory,after sometime I noticed that one of the kapalas was shaking his legs most of the time.I ask the factory manager,and he told me that he was employed just to see that the workers were all kept under control.He was the kampong thug.
I also witnessed soldiers guarding outside another woodworking factory a few miles down.The management was having trouble with its workers.They called in the army.I never knew that the army can be for hired too.Maybe only in Indonesia.
3 comments:
Nuraina,the people of Indonesia have been getting the brunt of the law and the rich tycoons as far back as memory can recall.It was a wild country all along,caused by rampant corruption starting at the time of Sukarno.
I could still remember that during the sixties and early seventies,
Medan was a cowboy town.Most of the gang leaders of the notorious thugs,robbers and rapists alike were children from well to do,rich families.Robberies,kidnapping,shakedown of businesses were all done in broad daylight.
Because the families of these gangsters were rich business people,they have the top law enforcement officials in their pockets.And their children were left untouched.Things were getting so worse that tourists were shunning Medan.
Jakarta had no alternatives and eventually the death squad,consisting of elite special forces personnel were formed.The gang leaders were excecuted and the bodies were thrown all over different counties.Those that escaped the dragnet disapeared and have never been seen.Of course Jakarta has denied that it was behind the killings.
In the middle eighties,I was asked to commisioned a woodworking factory in Tebing Tinggi,about sixty miles outside Medan city.From the airport tarmac we were directed to the building where immigration and customs were stationed.
My temporary boss,as he was paying me when I was there,was waiting outside the building,and waved to me.He asked for my passport and directed me to wait next to the customs counter.He just walked past all the immigration officers,into the office,came out a few minutes later with my passport stamped.Showed it to the customs and off we go.Of course I was amazed.
Then at the factory,after sometime I noticed that one of the kapalas was shaking his legs most of the time.I ask the factory manager,and he told me that he was employed just to see that the workers were all kept under control.He was the kampong thug.
I also witnessed soldiers guarding outside another woodworking factory a few miles down.The management was having trouble with its workers.They called in the army.I never knew that the army can be for hired too.Maybe only in Indonesia.
Imagine if Malaysian newspaper can write a complaint like this...
bruno: well, i hope things have changed in indonesia since.
anon@8:21am: why, do you doubt that?
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