Do you think Indonesia will survive until 2030?
Sunny ambon
To quote one American writer, Indonesia is an improbable nation. It means that a nation like Indonesia should not even exist under any other circumstances.
Its territory is too huge. It's people too many. Its cultures and languages and ethnic backgrounds too diverse.
So, at the end of the day, it's not the power of the state or the government, or even the military, that holds this nation together. It's the will of the people. It's the people's own willingness to see each other as their fellow Indonesians. As soon as this will is gone, so will the nation.
Thus, all Indonesian leaders must always nurture and protect this will. Instead of trying to scare people with the prospect of a breakup taken straight from some pop novel. All in a quest to gain power.
To nurture and protect this will, Indonesian leaders must be above all sectarian interests. Instead of associating with and supporting radical groups. Just to gain power.
When Indonesian leaders start to use fear and division and when they start to use sectarianism, just to gain or hold on to power, that's when the people's will to be Indonesians gets weaken. Then Indonesia as a nation state will truly be in danger of dieing.