Living through another lean year.

(From The Jakarta Post)

Indonesia is going to add another pale year to its post-Soeharto era. Its already tarnished image as a state was severely damaged again after the Bali bombing, which demonstrated undeniably how vulnerable Indonesia had become to acts of terrorism.

The bombing, however tragic, is not the only humiliation that the government was forced to swallow. In the Binjai shooting the absurd rivalry between the Military and Police over protection rackets was embarrassingly revealed.

Domestic insecurity is impossible to hide. Equally humiliating is the lack of progress in the war against corruption. Along with the redistribution and decentralization of power, corruption has permeated all crevices. Government offices are ostensibly bribing each other to quicken the speed of transactions.

Culprits do not have to worry about punishment. No one in a high place was jailed in 2002 for corruption. The government was unable to remove from office politicians whom the court had found guilty. While new …