Source: Thejakartapost.com, 17 August 2009 A letter from Max Boon, a victim of the recent bombings at the Jakarta hotels, touched the deepest corner of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s heart, moving him to personally respond without going through the usual bureaucratic process. (Click here or the pic for viewing the letter - taken from The Jakarta Globe, 18 August 2009)
Max, a Dutch national, is currently still lying in a hospital bed in Singapore, breathing via a tracheotomy that prevents him from speaking ,after he became one of the victims of the attacks against J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotel last month.
The man, who worked for CastleAsia, a company responsible for hosting breakfast meeting at the Marriott, sent the letter to congratulate Yudhoyono for Indonesia’s 64th Independence Day anniversary.
“SBY was so deeply moved upon receiving the letter that he, uncharacteristically and without going normal bureaucratic process, responded to Max Boon’s letter the same day. The letter was sent to Max Boon via our Ambassador in Singapore,” Yudhoyono’s spokesperson Dino Patti Djalal told The Jakarta Post via email.
Yudhoyono addressed himself as “your friend” to Max in his letter and said he broke down in tears upon receiving Max’s letter and learning about his condition.
“I wept when I received your message and learned of your condition. You do not deserve this,” SBY said.
“I cannot possibly imagine how you must feel being the unjust victim of this terrible crime, but I sincerely admire your courage to move on with life undeterred, your selfless attention to others, and your undying love for Indonesia.”
Max said in his letter that spending five years in Indonesia had made him fall in love with the country.
He spent his first two years working for the tsunami relief program in Aceh.
Yudhoyono said in his letter that Max had truly blessed Indonesia with his unconditional friendship.
“Your relentless spirit reminds us that life is beautiful and is always worth living for under any circumstances.”
SBY also promised Max that somebody had to pay for his suffering.
“You have my word, Max, that I will do everything I can to find and bring to justice those who perpetrated this terrible act of terrorism.”
