Indonesia one of the most diverse nations in the world, geographically, culturally and in faith. The Indonesian people are known as gentle, tolerant, kind. Looking at life through may be different eyes then we westeners do but

international terorism is as alien to them as it is to us in Europe and the U.S.A. Also in Europe and America should be a bit more reticent accusing president Megawatti from inaction towards international terrorism.

1. Is president Megawatti different from president Bush an Chirac by looking over her shoulders to those who are going to elect her? 2. I would like to remind those countries in Holland, Germany, America, France that we have fed and nourished, given social security to the same El Qaeda terrorists who made their deadly strike in New York and Bali.

Known as the biggest ,most tolerant muslim society in the world,

they are a spiritual people very open to any religion. Supersticious ghosts and God all have their own place..

This may be illustrated by a story I read about an Indonesian saying:" In Indonesia, we believe that true paradise is inside you, not outside. You must BE beautifull. It is a matter of belief, of attitude. If you want to be truly happy you have to learn to direct your every thought and effort to creating beauty in your life, whether it is the beauty which stems from being at peace with yourself, of the relationships you have with others or the beauty of the physical environment you find to create around you "

How then could it happen that a terror organisation like the Jemaah Islamiyah has become the center of a complete network throughout the whole of Asia?That they are opting for a pan-islamitic state in Malay, Singapore, the Philippines and Norhtern Australie.

Just like in America, Europe ,yes anywhere in the world Indonesians are asking themselves what is the source of the anger of all those young fanatics.

Just like us they know that it all started with Bin Laden in the Middle East. That their anger is about corruption, injustice ,oppression, lack of liberty and education in their own countries.Of beeing second hand citizens at home but also in comparisson to their own generation in the affluent societies.

They see the men and women who oppress them, travelling and staying in luxury places in Marbella , London, Las Vegas, Paris, Washington. They hear that they bring their money to the banks in Zurich, New York...Billions of dollars and francs. They see how a monoculture is destroying their cultures . And their anger builds up. And so may be it happened that they started to blame the unhappiness in their heart and minds to us in the West.

Although the victims they make are not to be compared to the millions who died in the last world war, what they are achieving by killing inocent people is that they have installed a fear in people world wide. Because all of us can be those innocent people and so fear becomes the greatest ally of international terrorism.

When the bombs exploded in Bali, I was in Jakarta and I have felt and seen the fear in the eyes of the Australians .I have seen the fear in the empty abandonned hotels , in the warning of the American, Australian, European embassies to leave Indonesia.

We were there on an invitation of the minister of Culture and Education to attend a seminar and exposition regarding their historical museum in Linggarjati ( a mountain village near Cirebon) where in 1947 the agreement was signed between the Dutch and Indonesians to grant the Indonesians their long fought independance.

The seminar organized under the wings of the minister of culture and education by several organizations, Fined, Ikaned and Interfel. Organizations of young people with prominent positions all throug the Indonesian society with branches on Java and the main other Indonesian islands. Most of the members have studied for one or more years abroad They are an actif group operating on all levels of Indonesia, government and business.

The driving force behind the wish to give body to the museum of Linggarjati is twofold. One to make alive in the museum 300 years of history of Holland and Indonesia. But also Mr Frans Seda former Minister of State and advisor of Megawatti Soekarnoputri is very; concerned about his youths. He says that when the young people do not know their past and know what the freedom means they achieved in Linggarjati, they are not likely to understand the present.

And he referred to the Jefferson monument in the USA : a reference point specially for the youths of Indonesia

Indonesia has a very young and shaky democracy; they are very vulnarable. They are in a transition from an agricultural society to an industrial. They miss people who have the sikll to and training to make that true. The middle class

While we had the exposition and the seminar both the British and Dutch Ambassador told the audience that Bali meant not only terror but anarchy and that we should try to uphold what was expressed in the accord of Linggarjati, dialoque, respect, democracy.

This discussion how are we going to create, clean governments, business, so democracy will work was very; much on the minds of the people we met.

At one point 500 students came and debated wilth Seda and Des Alwi the adopted son of Sjahrir one of the forefront fighters for their independance, who also signed the accord of Linggarjati and I can tell you it was a very lively discussion.

Interfel wants to take their exposition to all the big cities on Java and later to the other islands.

Who is going to support them? Of course we need to fight world terrorism but unless we support people like Fined, Ikaned and Interfel to make democracy work it may be a lost battle.

While we were there my brother travellled from Jakarta to Linggarjati by car. At one point they stopped in a tiny village ( dessa) to have lunch. They had their meal in a warong( tiny restaurant) somewhere against one of the walls there was a bookstand. What did he saw there. A little booklet with on the flap two portraits: Bin Laden visa Mr Bush. Inside pictures and texts of the international fight of Bin Laden to destroy Mr Bush. Now imagine this was a tiny village, one of the millions and millions of villages all through Indonesia. They try to conquer the minds of the very ordinary people.

My brother bought a booklet. Back in Jakarta he met by accident an Indonesian, who was a top intelligence man at the NATO headquarters. My brother showed him the booklet and he asked him if he could get it. This story may show us how necessary; the intitiatif of these young people of Interfel is.

When I asked Indonesian people what should I tell my people at home. How can we help you in your fight against international terrorism they told me, you know what we need is to be able to export our products to your countries, get away with your import tarilffs and your agricultural subsidies. Stop telling your tourists that Indonesia is a threat to their lifes. It is not more or less dangerous here then in New York, Washington or Amsterdam. Our hotels have an occupancy rate of 5 %. Any country who is in bad shape is a breeding ground for International terrorism.

We want just as much as you to live in peace and be part of the world community.But then you in the West must learn to look at us not through your eyes but through the eyes of the 300 million people throughout Indonesia

Of course Indonesia, the Indonesians have their fate in their own hands. But in this global world all nations are linked together. Sometimes on his or her path a person , a nation gets the chance to take part in the history of menkind, the Foundation "Vrienden van Linggarjati wants to share the responsibilty with her Indonesian friends.

Joty ter Kulve

Welbergsweg 5

7495 Ambt Delden ,Holland

november 2002