Manchester, 23rd May 2017

Yesterday, Manchester experienced one of the worst attacks since 9/11 and London 7/7. As singer Ariana Grande was wrapping up her concert, a young man detonated an improvised explosive device killing himself and 22 others, injuring 59 people. Among the victims are children and teenagers, first time concert goers.

We mourn. We condemn. We shed tears. Children should not die in such a tragedy. Murderers should not target children. But the reality is, it happened. Children died. Murdered, targeted by terrorist. Children also died when schools and hospitals destroyed by misiles.

We condemn the terrorist causing yesterday's carnage. We should also condemn our involvements in other countries' wars. We should condemn the fact that we cling on nuclear weapon for 'defense'. 

The thing is, human beings are capable of doing the worst things and the best things. All nations have murdered babies and innocents in the name of whatever - from colonialism, religion, freedom, the opposite of freedom, for money and for idealism. They are still murder and they are still wrong. 

But at the same time, people from all nations have also done the most unthinkable kindness. 

Yesterday we saw the solidarity of taxi drivers in Manchester taking survivors home for free, the generousity of the locals offering rooms. The heroism of parents and strangers saving other kids.

We are a unique species as we literally make and break this planet and each other. We are pests who are destroying Planet Earth. But we are also the saviours and the only hope this planet has.

Jeremy Keeling of Monkey World said, "I have my views on right and wrong, but preaching morality is fraught with problems" ("Jeremy & Amy", 2010, p.217). So true. Who are we to claim higher moral ground when we produce the most lethal weapons and sell them to any one who can afford them? Who are we to say others are evil when we look away from other children death just because they are not in our country? 

The thing is, murder and violence are wrong. Love and kindness are right. Someone said this over 2000 years ago and died on a rugged cross for it. He said, "turn and offer your other cheek if someone slap you." When will human ever learn?

I guess the only moral of this sad story is: "always do the best our heart can guide us. Be kind and gentle. Always believe in Love and act based on Love." 

Peace and God bless us all ❤️ 

Manchester, 23 May 2017

https://youtu.be/MjHodRB24hs 

 

Petitioning President Jokowi to Accept Rohingya Refugee

https://www.change.org/p/joko-widodo-president-of-indonesia-please-accept-rohingya-refugees-on-indonesian-soils

Dear Mr President, 

please open your heart to our fellow human who are suffering. 

Remember your speech on the opening of Asian African Conference last month? You said Indonesia is ready to take the lead in social justice. You said we cannot continue to rely on the so called developed/first world/North (rich) countries... 

Well this is the time to put your words into action. Please open our shore for the suffering asylum seekers. 

Acehnese fishermen who were poor and once displaced themselves had started to show compassion, why can't we as a nation do the right thing too? Our land is enough for sharing, our people though poor would still feed the hungry. In sharing we will become richer, our resources is enough to be shared, as long as we are not too greedy. 

Please open your heart and open our border, Mr Jokowi... 

People's power?

I might sound old, but I can't help to compare the people's power that toppled dictators in Indonesia 1998 and Philippines 1986 to today's trade union march against the tories in Manchester, UK. 

 

The big difference was that in Jakarta 1998 and Manila 1986, people march united as one against a dictator - Soeharto and Marcos. The people were anonimous Joe Everybodies. Today's protest in Manchester, UK, was filled with banners and placards of organisations or political parties all advertising their interest. None provides practical and logical sollution. 

Indonesians toppled Soeharto's dictatorship by marching as one, not by advertising organisation A, B, C...

I do agree that today's government in power - coallition between Conservative (or Tory) and Liberal Democrat - is evil. Any government who kiils the poor - Cameron in UK 2010-2013 or Sutiyoso in Jakarta 2002-2005 - is indeed EVIL. I agree that they need to step down and be replaced by human who work for the people, not for the greedy bussinessmen and international conglomerates.

Well, this guy said it nicely

Still, it made me sad that today's trade union march was more about promoting individual unions or political parties or institutions or causes, rather than marching together as one. I do not buy the advert of trade unions because all they wanted is our subscription. I had been a member of two unions, both had no union representative available when i really needed them, and I was not the only one with this experience.

I am still waiting for politicians with real human hearts who will defend the people, the poor, with all their hearts until the last blood... I have not seen the quality of Chico Mendez and Romero here in the first world England. 

I am disappointed of the country where modern democracy was born. Still I cannot just leave this modern society, go to the jungle of West Papua and join their Liberation Army. Well, of course I could, but I still have a responsibility of raising my son until he goes to university and independent. Neither does joining badger resistant army would do any good for now. 

Therefore I will continue doing what i can do - fighting for what is right in anyway I can, working togther with those who have human hearts, and fight the evil of greedy capitalistsm, politic of selfishness and injustice. I will fight with my service user for the right of public service for those with no internet access (damn you manchester, advertising the city as digital champion while discriminating against those who are not internet-literate!). I will advocate for those who are entitled of student bursary but their social workers are too lazy and beaurocratic to provide. I will fight for the better treatments of new social workers by the dictatorship of their local authority and fight for transparency in local authority management. I will fight for the stop of badger cull for this is human laziness to address the real problem and find innocent creatures as scapegoat....

Come and join me all human hearts, with care and love we can defeat the evil little by little...

In all our different ways, we can unite in one compassion for fellow human. We can continue to question injustice especially by those in power. We can refuse to be victims and take responsibilities to make a difference. For it is better to light a candle than curse at the darkness....