Kudeta & Adam Malik

This week I was reading "Kudeta 1 Oktober 1965: Sebuah Studi tentang Konspirasi"
Quite a challenging read & controversial topic ;) but I've always wanted to know what happened during that period.
This book is originally written Victor M Fic --> this is one the reason I wanted to read this book, because it is not written by an Indonesian. (Hopefully) he didn't have any bias writing this paper.

Honestly, my mind was challenged when reading all these 'facts'. I used ' ' marks, because at the end of the day, I have not personally seen the sources of the 'facts', and what happened during those times were really complex that anyone could've said anything. I don't know.

It was quite shocking and sad to know what happened back then, and the people who were 'allegedly' involved. I wish it was all done by bad people, but I now learn that it might be a little more complicated than that.


Power, I learned from the book, might be the source of the problem. The desire for power, for everlasting power. Pride. Personal welfare instead of the collective welfare.
I hope Indonesia learned from what happened back then - even though we don't really know what exactly happened. I hope we continue to be united and focus on our strengths. Indonesia bisa :)



But that's not all I read this week :)
When I went to the library I noticed this small booklet slipped in between two huge books. I pulled it out, and it turned out the booklet contained two speeches by Adam Malik. It was called "Menuju Pelaksanaan Demokrasi Pancasila".
I recognized his name as Indonesia's representative in the formation of ASEAN, as well as in the United Nations. I was immediately curious, and it was an inspiring read!

I learned that the condition of his time and this time is not very different: social welfare difference, between the 'rich' and the 'poor', was a problem back then and is still now. DPR is also still a (may I say) 'problematic' institution in Indonesia. It might be progressing and becoming better and better, but it has been controversial for so many years now. No wonder the process may take a long, long time.

But I was struck by one of his statement:
Ahli sosial harus sama dengan ahli 'science' dalam rasa tanggung jawab terhadap tanah air.

I think I connected with the statement immediately because I'm studying currently studying humanities/'arts', which is social science. And I WILL have the same desire to build Indonesia! :)

Also:
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely". People has to be involved in the practice of democracy.
I think this relates nicely to the "Kudeta" book.
It is not a bad idea to let people be involved, right? It is by the people, for the people :)
Power is necessary to give some guidelines and moves things along, but too much power will set things back instead.


I love reading these themes! It is so different than what I've been learning at school, college, and Uni, but I can still relate to it.
And more than ever, I want to do something good for my lovely country. May God help me.


CHEERS!
-*^^*-