It's proper that people have friends, friendships without self-interest. Without friends, life is too lonely.

An educated person must learn to act justly, beginning, first of all, with his thoughts, then later in his deeds. That is what it means to be educated.

Let us see whether it is the New Order or me who will be the loser before Indonesian history. I have won. The New Order has fallen and my writings have been translated into 40 languages.

I don't write to give joy to readers but to give them a conscience.

Every award for me is important because it means a slap against militarism and fascism in Indonesia.

Painting is literature in colors. Literature is painting in language.

Even though no one admits it, writers are leaders in their communities.