President SBY’s regret against the “sweeps” that had been carried out against Malaysian nationals in Jakarta is welcome, but as usual developments like these spur other questions in Unspun’s mind.
1. This statement comes three days after the sweep began. Any reputational damage to Indonesia and reinforcement of the perception that SBY acts very S_L_O_W_L-Y has been set in stone by now. Didn’t his handlers brief him as things happened and conveyed some sense of urgency to respond to the sweep as it happened, so that it would have been nipped in the bud?
2. So what happens to people who take the law into their own hands and go around menacing foreign nationals with sharpened bamboo stakes? This has nothing to do with Malaysian nationals but with law enforcement. If the police don’t arrest people like this, what messages does it send to other vigilante wannabes?
3. Najib was right to convey his worries for Malaysian nationals’ safety to Indonesian Ambassador Da’i Bachtiar but what’s with publicising his conveying of same anxieties to Try Sutrisno? He’s an ex politician, a member of the Eminent Persons Group but not quite in the mainstream of government. Why the emphasis?
SBY Denounces Indonesian Threats Against Malaysians
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed regret over the sweeps reportedly being carried out against Malaysian nationals in Indonesia.
“I hope there will be no excessive actions that are against the law [taken] by any of us, such as the sweeping operations against Malaysian nationals. Sweeps are not a good thing to do,” the president said during the opening of a plenary session of the cabinet on Thursday.
The president said that sweeping operations would only create new problems while the government was seeking diplomatic solutions to several bilateral issues.
On Tuesday, a group calling itself Bendera, for “Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat” (People’s Democratic Front), reportedly stopped people on a Jakarta street while carrying bamboo spears in a search for Malaysian nationals.
Separately, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said he had been assured that the Indonesian government would ensure the safety of Malaysians in the country. He said this was conveyed to him by Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Da’i Bachtiar, during a meeting on Wednesday.
“I have conveyed to Try Sutrisno Malaysia’s worry about the safety of Malaysian citizens in Indonesia and he has promised to bring it up with the Indonesian government. The Indonesian ambassador in our meeting earlier today told me they were taking action to ensure no harm comes to Malaysians,” the prime minister said, referring to the former Indonesian vice president who plays a leading role in the Indonesia-Malaysia Eminent Persons Group.
via SBY Denounces Indonesian Threats Against Malaysians – The Jakarta Globe.
Unspun 
just my thoughts
1. I guess SBY has to act in balance. He is already perceived by many as too soft with Malaysia by Indonesians. He knows that anti-malaysia sentiment in Indonesia is so widespread in average Indonesians, and (in my opinion) started to accumulate since 21 February 2005.
So he has to be careful. Also remember, SBY is wellknown for his hesitant and slow. But he did what he had to, in deploring such act and telling Indonesians .
2. Yes, after the fall of Suharto we have weaks government and while the people and media getting stronger. This is just one of many examples.
You maybe want to know about similar cases in the past.
in Solo 2000, some people who did this ‘sweeping’ of Americans peole were forced to apology. In 2003, I think some people who did the sweeping were arrested.
3. I dont know how it is in malaysia. But here in Indonesia, anytime a controversial news arise, the media will ask just about any famous people to comment (be it artist, politician, lawmaker, statemen etc)
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I was waiting for SBY’s response. I must admit that I was and still am disappointed with his slow and seemingly cautious rap on the knuckles of the participants of the sweep for Malaysians.
But Ning is probably right. SBY has to worry about his countrymen’s perception of him, whether he has been too soft with Malaysia.
But this begs another question. Will the other Indonesians believe that the law will not act decisively against them under such circumstances and may yet perform similar actions to the detriment of Indonesia’s international image?
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A “rap on the knuckles” is unfortunately the standard approach to armed mobs in Indonesia. Not so long ago the Islamic Defenders Front attacked a peaceful pro-Pancasila rally with bamboo poles and received light sentences. Indonesia has a long tradition of mob “justice” and good-for-nothings who can be easily incited to violence, and no government has ever really done anything about it.
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A "rap on the knuckles" is unfortunately the standard approach to armed mobs 9n Indonesia. Not so long ago the Islamic Defenders Front attacked a peaceful pro-Pancasila rally with bamboo poles and received light sentences. Indonesia has a long tradition of mob "justice" and good-for-nothings who xan be easily incited to violence, and no government has ever really done anything about it.;
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1. ‘Bendera’,based on their stated objectives, by western definition is a TERORIST GROUP. They are bent to terrorize and attack Malaysia. In Malaysia, the leader such as this, how brave or idiotic he may be, would have been caught under ISA immediately.
2. ‘Bendera’ is also a splinter group from PDIP, Mega/ Prabowo coalition who’s probably sore at losing to SBY. Hence SBY’s silence and pussy footing, calculating his next move very carefully.
3. Nordin Mat Top was shot dead with a hail of bullets for 7 hours, very dramatic; fair enough.BUT Was he proven guilty beyond any reasonable doubts in any courts of law? Indonesian Mas Selamat (Singapore’s most wanted fugitive) is still slamat in Malaysia, being interrogated and probably ‘rehabilitation’/ crack open – semi guantanamo style?
4. When Manohara ran thro’ Singapore, FBI was called in, why?
5. In the next Asian tour, Obama is stopping only in Singapore, WHY? Not Indoneisa, his childhood schooling, not KL?
6. LAdies and Gentlemen,there seems to be ‘invisible hands’ trying to break up the Malay Solidarity (Rumpun Melayu) among the malay world with small and rudiculuos, overblown and sentimental issues. Yet nothing is rudiculous, Natrah tragedy in Singapore 1950’s, huge riots and many went dead. Just because of some ‘misunderstanding’.
If they are successful as they had done to the Arab world, then the world’s largest weapon manufacturer are gleefully laughing at us all, waiting for our orders, and put back their shitty economy into shape.
4.
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