Jakarta under terror

I was on the way to the office when my sister mentioned the bombs. It was so peaceful, just an ordinary day. I accused her of joking, a victim of harmless prank by her friend. But no, she said. JW Marriot and Ritz-Carlton Jakarta were bombed at 7.55am. No shit.

The implications were pretty severe. Traffic was everywhere, the national security was on Siaga 1 (the level just below wartime), it stole the spotlights from Manohara and Michael Jackson in the news channels, the president looked angry, sad, dissapointed yet resolute. I thought he handled it pretty well, not a hint of fear regardless of his picture being used as a shooting target by the so-called terrorists.

The finance ministers abruptly broadcasted how they will not allow the dollar to appreciate and wreck havoc amongst traders. I also thought that was very smart. I know that they have no means to do so, but they did the only thing they can: lock in public panic and self-fulfilling prophecy. The dollar will not appreciate under fear and crippling speculation, that much they addressed for the moment.

All in all, this is a tragedy nevertheless of the size of casualties. Indonesia has been under international appraisal for being South East Asia's most vibrant democratic country, a stable economy under the new president. The Thinking General, so he's called. In a way it is sustaining its democratic nature, by allowing free thinkers to express themselves, regardless of how adverse it is.

What saddens me the most I think was this video they had of this Director of a big cement company dying. He and his managers were having breakfast meeting at the JW Marriot that unfortunate morning. The security camera showed everything, from the morning routines of the hotel, a succumbing explosion and immense amount of smoke and rubbles that followed. He was later seen carried out by the firefighters, abandoned on the side of the street while they try to rescue others. He was still alive then. Very badly burnt, his clothes were gone, his left eye was gone and half his face skinless, but alive nonetheless.

There was indeed a footage of him deformed, squealing in pain for help at first. That turned into anger when he realized the only thing he was attracting was people video-taping his state of being. Like some kind of an attraction. He waved his arms in anger, telling them to piss off. But continue taping was the only thing they did, amateurs and professionals alike.

He died, doctors said he could have been saved if he received medical attention sooner.

I had that feeling in the Netherlands when I had my accident. I was unable to walk, on the street waiting for the ambulance. People walked by, asked in anticipation what I was doing there. What happened, they shook their heads in fear when they saw my open knee. But thats it, once they know what the fuss was all about, they left. I also felt like an attraction, and began to despise people who came by for the spectacle.

I thought that was one of the bad things I encountered during my stay there, but unfortunately it is more global that I thought.

The thought of seeing a man crying for help and dying in front of a taping crowd was beyond my understanding. What happened to humanity, a bond between all humans regardless of acquintance? Arent we all social beings who literally cant live without each other? Why should curiosity comes first before time saving, the thin line between living and dying? Why arent we rushing the poor New Zealander to the hospital when we had the chance? Spare the family of the dreadful phone call.

We are under terror, but to me it is a different kind of terror. The lacking of humanity, that is what's attacking us.