While countries are closing airports. Indonesia was campaigning for tourism.
Paying influencers doesn’t dissolve fear of the virus
Most people understandably are not flying because of the virus. Most countries understandably are banning international travel to restrict the spread. What would be the best policy should you take as the head of a country during this uncertain times?
Well — of course… pay international influencers to promote tourism to your country. It makes sense right? A vacational retreat on a tropical archipelago paradise — away from the big town, away from the virus. What about the airplanes? It flies, carries people, a whole bunch of them. Did you mention virus? Do they even survive in high altitude?
Trust me, I hope the above couldn’t even be a possibility.
At the very least Indonesia has a low number of infection, but is it? Most likely not. It’s hard to trust a foreign government, when its own people don’t even trust them.
The president already made a statement for the public to make peace with the virus. This country is so far in the dark, even the president has already given up. If Indonesia doesn’t crash and sink to the bottom of the ocean, that would have to be a miracle.
There is a fallout between local authorities and the central government. The ministers are pushing out conflicting policies between each other. Minister of Health has gone missing from public view. Vice-President said — wild horse milk is the solution to the virus. The President has lost control.
This virus is just the trigger that blew the lid as the economy has slowed down — far before present day, the cause of death of 500 people from last year election has not yet been uncovered, and the government instead of looking for real solution — it tries to divert attention by building a new capital city in the middle of Borneo. It’s a mess.
What should we expect from the future of Indonesia? Will it be possible for it to survive and keep itself intact as a nation? Honestly, I wouldn’t bet on it. Either the country will dissolve into smaller power factions, as there are powerful local and autonomous powers with ancient history and modern day legitimacy — such as Aceh and Yogyakarta. Or the whole administration might just be uprooted by the people, as it was in 1998.
As the current resentment has started long before COVID, the current pandemic might just be the catalyst that breaks the camel’s back.
I supposed the point that I should make is that you should hold off your vacation to Indonesia.
