A Sight From JW Marriot Bomb Blast

Today is my first day back to the office which is at Plaza Mutiara, an office area located on the same building with JW Marriot Hotel. I was trully blessed and lucky that I suddenly decided to take a one day leave on that black Friday, July 17th. I called my boss on Thursday evening, told him that I still need to take a rest after having my sinusitis attacked on few days before, and to get my self fit for my evening flight on its Friday to Bali. With my boss approval, so I didn't come to the office on its day.

The carnage were still glaring from the eery surroundings. Broken glasses in big chunks still littered the sideways, and here and there still spots of splattered blood. Haunting still ! Group of police officers and security guards were all over the place with stern faces. Several newsman and women added into the tense atmosphere.

I just miss so much my daily rituals, walking down slowly from my building to the Oakwood for my coffee fix at Crema. All with serenity and peace not found in other parts of town.

Now, all lost ! With the post trauma faced by some of my colleagues [having two times attacked with high explosive bomb, previously on the late of 2003], the office is now thinking to move the office to another safe area, away from these two spots of JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton.

I wonder whether those terrorist are now dancing and celebrating them selves as nothing than just murder of human lives !

Financial Freedom, or, Financial Bondage ???

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, "Who is the Lord?", or, I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. [Proverbs 30:8-9]

Isn't it a wonderful feeling you may have, when you go shopping and have sufficient money to buy whatever you want ? You and I, and also the other hundreds of millions of people are figuring out ways to get a little more, and more, money. If you could tap into their brains you might hear them thinking, "If only I had a million dollars, all my troubles would be over".

Then, how do you go to get those million dollars, or rupiah ? Become a workerholic ? Travelling all around the world to sell your product and expand your market ? Becoming a politician, then with the power and authority that you have, you created your millions of dollars ? upss....:D

I've seen that countries go to war over money. Unions and managers fight over the control of money. Marriages are blows apart because of money. Family relationship are broken apart because of money. People commit suicide over money. See how money plays an important role in our daily lives. Todays, even young children have discovered the power of money.

Here is just a little story about one man and money. Oneday he met money, and said, "You are just a piece of paper". Wanne know what money response to him ? Money smiled and said, "of course 'am just a piece of paper, but I haven't seen a dustbin yet, in my life". :D

So today, do you have financial freedom or financial bondage ?

Whatever our situation today, let us learn to focus on what God has given us, and not on what we do not have. I am learning this today, and trying to understand that God gives us money to provide our basic needs for food, clothing and shelter, which are necessary to maintain life.

Happy Birthday, Mr./Ms. COPS !

Here are testimonial that I quoted from Amnesty International's report, those were from scores of people who suffered at the hands of the police:

• Sofyan, 18 year old, arrested for murder in January 2007 told Amnesty International: “At 2am we got to Polres [District Police Station]. I was taken to the head of the unit for interrogation. There, ten men beat me for an hour with their batons, “where is your friend?” they asked. My three front teeth had cracked and I was bleeding. I was exhausted…Every time I said something, I was hit. I was handcuffed, standing, to the trellis above, and couldn’t sleep for a whole night. For the first four days I was hit over and over again…Once, the buser [Police support staff for the Criminal Investigation Division] asked me, how is it here, and I said, I’m scared of being beaten. He said, you should be killed, not just hit…”.

• Denni, 28 years old, a heroin addict, was arrested in Central Jakarta in December 2005 as he made a purchase from his dealer in the marketplace. Police tied him up and beat his shins with a block of wood. Denni told Amnesty International what happened at the time of arrest: “Confess!’ they [police officers] said, ‘Confess!’ But the buser [support police officer from the Criminal Investigation Division], who seemed to have a higher job position, said ‘enough of this, just take him to the station’. I was taken to the highway. But we didn’t get into a police car. We went in a cab. As the cab drove, they bargained with me. ‘Hey can you get us 40 million [3858 USD] tonight? If you can get the 40, I’ll let you go’. I said, ‘I don’t have any money, I don’t have anything like that’. He said, ‘Ok, you tell us a friend who is also a user, but pick someone with some money, someone who can provide us with some cash. Do you know someone like that?’ I said, ‘it’s midnight, how do I find someone like that? I don’t know anyone like that’. They said, ‘Ok. Fine’. And then they started to beat me. ‘Then you are going to die’, he yelled. You are going to die’.

• Dita, a 21-year-old sex worker, was arrested in December 2006. Dita told Amnesty International how she was threatened with sexual abuse and faced intimidation at the time of her arrest: “I was arrested with five or six other prostitutes. On the way to Polres [District Police station] East Jakarta, they were grabbing me and touching me saying, you’re so young, why aren’t you in school, you know that kind of stuff. When we got to the station, they gave us a choice. They said we could get off if we paid one million rupiah [96 USD] or if we had sex with them. Three of the girls agreed to have sex with them. I point blank refused to do either. Our pimps have paid them enough already”.

Today is the 63rd annual National Police Day [Hari Bhayangkara]. My sincere birthday wishes to about 400,000 members of police officers in Indonesia, wherever you are. A major turning point in the police's performance and paradigm have made today, on this celebration day. The National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, just passed a decree on the Implementation of Human Rights Principles and Standards in the Discharge of Duties of the Police.

So let's see and monitor on how those principles could trickle down to their members, to have a more human rights-friendly officer around us.

We Want, or, We Need ???

There is a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need. We need food, we want ice-cream. But do we really need a brand new car and the biggest house ? Do we get satisfaction from those thing ? Do you know what really gives you satisfaction ?

How about, offering others what you have to give ???