In Reply to: Panem et Circenses posted by Ringo on Thursday, 1. April 2004 at 12:53 Bali Time:
But in this case, we don't. General Pastika was already offered a "bribe" of one billion (Rp) a month to "look the other way." That's a pretty enticing sum I think, but of course, he turned it down.
Corruption is indeed Indonesia's greatest problem that must be addressed, and so it is, one step at a time by men like General Pastika.
Just two or three days ago, an international watch group declared ex-president Soeharto as the most corrupt head of state in recent history. They account his many years of rule in Indonesia as costing the country over 55 billion US dollars. The Philippine ruler, Marcos, was a distant second.
There is a real "wind of change" that I feel in Bali. That could be only because my brother in law and cousin are running for office for the DPR. But I hear this from others too, just normal Balinese that stop by for a little coffee and chat.
It could be that I'm looking at things through rose colored glasses, and those that could or would say so, may have a valid point. Only time will tell. For me, I trust the winds I feel, and I am embracing them almost as much as my Balinese family.