Ethnic, racial and religious issues through children's eyes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Seven-year-old Kartika knew that the Chinese are
\nnot the same as other ethnic groups in the country. She learned
\nthe difference when her mother took her along to wedding parties
\n-- the Chinese bride usually wears a Western gown, while the
\nJavanese is clad in traditional outfit.<\/p>\n
Later on, she learned more about the differences when her
\nfriends called her Cina (Chinese).<\/p>\n
Alfonsus Arista Tefa, 13, said that when he was in the second
\ngrade of an elementary school, his friend called him Cina while
\nlaughing, sneering and pointing his finger at him \"as if I was a
\nthief caught redhanded\".<\/p>\n
\"I was hurt and confused because I felt that we were good
\nfriends,\" Alfonsius said.<\/p>\n
Like it or not, at an early age, many Chinese children have
\nalready faced ethnic problems that are hard for them to digest.
\nYet, they were ignored when they wanted their rights observed.<\/p>\n
Until recently, that is, when the Indonesian Anti-Racism
\nSociety organized a national writing contest on SARA, an acronym
\nof race, religion and tribal affiliations or societal groups --
\nfor elementary school and junior high school students.<\/p>\n
Many students described religious and racial tension in their
\nwriting very well. They cited the May riots in Jakarta, the
\nKetapang riots here and the Kupang incident among examples of the
\nSARA-related problems around them.<\/p>\n
Rembulan Indira, a junior high school student in East Jakarta,
\nfor instance, revealed that her Chinese classmate planned to seek
\nrefuge in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, after her father's store
\nwas burned down during the bloody May riots when hundreds of
\nstores were looted and set ablaze.<\/p>\n
Novia Rachmayanti, a sixth grade student of an elementary
\nschool in West Jakarta, still remembered how panicky and
\nhorrified she was during the May riots.<\/p>\n
\"...we were studying, suddenly the teachers told us, students
\nof the sixth grade, to assemble in the school yard as we would
\nall be sent home... because there were riots... which would
\nspread in the direction of our school. Some of my friends cried
\nin fear,\" she wrote on a piece of paper with the picture of
\nSailor Moon bottom right.<\/p>\n
As children, all participants have their own way of expressing
\ntheir opinions before getting to the main point.<\/p>\n
A junior high school student, for example, opened his piece by
\nsaying that SARA is not the name of MTV's VJ, the main cast of
\nthe Saras 008 TV series on Indosiar, or a name of a beautiful
\ngirl next door.<\/p>\n
It seems that many writers were well-informed about the latest
\ndevelopments in the country's politics, economy, social life and
\nculture. Some students expressed their opinions fluently, using
\nsophisticated terms, sounding very much like adults.<\/p>\n
Dwi Avanti Indriana, a second year student of a state-owned
\njunior high school in East Jakarta, referred to HAM dan
\nPluralisme Agama (Human Rights and Religious Pluralism), a book
\nby former religion minister Tarmizi Taher, in her writing.<\/p>\n
Yamin Prihatini, a first year junior high student in East
\nJakarta, who referred to Lise Funderburg's Black, White and
\nOther, citing: \"The first impression, a long-lasting one, about
\nracism originates from parents and family. Different attitudes
\ntoward one's race can also spread as the result of suppression or
\nbad treatment faced by a person.\"<\/p>\n
Angela Hahm, a seventh grade student of the Australian
\nInternational School, wrote: \"Racism is part of mistrust, of
\njealousies and of power struggles among various groups and the
\nmost violent and barbaric conflicts are the ones that are based
\non religion. It seems that religion encourages people to act
\nprimitively. The people who commit these acts consider the
\nburning of houses of worship, the killings of innocent people and
\nother atrocities, holy deeds.\"<\/p>\n
There are also pieces containing Pancasila propaganda.<\/p>\n
Nonin Niadisti, a sixth grade elementary student in
\nTulungagung, East Java, wrote how the Pancasila and Citizenship
\nEducation course solved the SARA problems in her school.<\/p>\n
It was a story about her classmate, Susi, who was bright but
\nwould not mingle with other students who were poor, had a
\ndifferent religion or came from a different ethnic group.<\/p>\n
As Nonin learned that Susi's close friends started to act like
\nher, she told them: \"Friends, the teacher has taught us the
\nPancasila and Citizenship Education lesson with a theme of unity
\nand unification. And until now, haven't you understood?\"<\/p>\n
In short, the story ended happily as everybody, including
\nSusi, realized their mistakes.<\/p>\n
And Nonin took the first prize in the elementary school
\ncategory.<\/p>\n
The top prize in the junior high school category went to
\nRembulan Indira.<\/p>\n
Each of them received Rp 750,000.<\/p>\n
The writing contest was part of the planned publication of an
\nintroductory book on SARA written by a team consisting of social
\nand political researcher Mohamad Sobary, cultural observer Ignas
\nKleden, child educator Seto Mulyadi and chairman of the
\nIndonesian Anti-Racism Society, Bambang Jatmiko. The team also
\nperformed as jury for the writing contest.<\/p>\n
The book is to be distributed for free in five cities:
\nJakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Ujungpandang and Medan.<\/p>\n
One could easily argue about the originality of the pieces
\nsince the organizers did not supervise the process of writing.
\nThe teachers or parents may have interfered in the writing, or
\neven written the stories for the children. But Bambang is not
\nworried.<\/p>\n
\"We got what we wanted, SARA in the eyes of the children. But
\nwe also see that their understanding is still superficial,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"The main point of holding this contest is to make the
\nchildren communicate, ask questions of their parents, or their
\nteachers.\" (ste)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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