Ethnic statistics negate humanity<\/p>\n
By Alfonsus Sirait<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The May riots in Jakarta and the preceding
\ndisturbances in a number of towns across Indonesia such as
\nSitubondo, Pamanukan, Rengasdengklok, and Medan have sparked
\ntense debates on ethnicity, mostly on the Chinese ethnic group.
\nThe opportunity offered by the Jakarta Post (JP) for the debate
\nhas encouraged several people to voice their racial sentiments
\nand single out the Chinese community as \"ripe with social and
\nbusiness sins.\" (Any term \"Chinese\" in this article refers to
\n\"Indonesian Chinese\")<\/p>\n
Of course, the Post's readers have also been exposed to many
\nstatements, articles and letters defending the Chinese. If Donna
\nK. Woodward seems to justify the rapes of Chinese women and girls
\nand any wrongdoing against Chinese by alleging that the Chinese
\nbusiness community is very corrupt, then we have some writers and
\npublic figures condemning the rapes and claiming that corrupt
\npractices are not monopolized by the Chinese.<\/p>\n
If Sumarsono Sastrowardoyo accuses the Chinese of not being
\npatriotic because a few of them fled the country when their lives
\nwere threatened and because some of them, perhaps just like the
\nrogues from other ethnic groups, betrayed the \"country\" during
\nthe Dutch colonial rule, then there were counterarguments to the
\neffect that some Chinese people also risked their lives for the
\nsake of Indonesian independence. Moreover, some Chinese
\nIndonesians have competed fiercely in the international sports
\n0arena defending their beloved country.<\/p>\n
Then we have also Masli Arman who, on the basis of his
\noverseas education and working experience, claims to be
\nintellectual and broad-minded and generous to his needy Chinese
\nneighbors. But some readers interpret Arman's ideas regarding
\nracial matters as a reflection of hypocritical racism and
\nunbearable hatred that may lay deep in his heart towards the
\nChinese for reasons known only to him.<\/p>\n
Racial debates are not without cost, especially for those who
\nfail to see ethnicity as a dividing line. Such people, no matter
\nwhat race they belong to, are the victims of racial sentiments
\nthat are expressed so freely in public. The bitter and painful
\nexperience that I have had in following the pros and cons
\npresented in the Post for the last six months has motivated me,
\nwith my limited English, to participate in this debate, even
\nthough my educational background is way too far from ethnic
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
Indeed, any effort to disentangle the roots of social
\ndisturbances is laudable and needs intensive discussion. But the
\ndebate that we have witnessed so far is narrowly focussed. As
\nstated above, the core of the debate has been justification for
\nthe looting, rape, and murder of some people of Chinese descent
\nduring the May uproar and counterarguments against it.<\/p>\n
It is quite alarming that this kind of social unrest is blamed
\nupon certain ethnic groups by stereotyping the whole group as
\nsinners and separating them from others. This accusation totally
\nignores humanity and our conscience, because human beings share
\nmore similarities than they have differences. Therefore, pointing
\nout an ethnic group as the culprit for social problems will be a
\nfatal mistake.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the joint fact-finding team established by the
\ngovernment to investigate the riots has announced that the riots
\nwere politically motivated. Based on this finding, we can now
\ntotally reverse the debate in the sense that, if previously the
\nChinese were fingered as the culprits, now we can put the blame
\non people with racial sentiments who are prone to usage as tools
\nof the political power. Any trigger can turn this sentiment into
\na devastating monster.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the debate has not improved from the level of
\n\"blaming and counterblaming.\" Worse still is that it has even
\nbeen diverted in the wrong direction, the ethnic statistics
\ndebate, which again targets the Chinese ethnic group.<\/p>\n
The rest of this article will highlight the shallow meaning we
\ngive to humanity if our views on ethnic statistics and racial
\nsentiment stay at the level we have reached so far, that is to
\nsatisfy the need of some people who want to divide humanity into
\nmajority and minority groups based on statistical counts.<\/p>\n
In this era, ethnic statistics are a very outdated concept, if
\nnot a taboo. It is irrelevant to the issues of modern life when
\nour attention is directed to the millennium bug, building of an
\nouter space station in order to observe the universe, worldwide
\ncharity movements, monetary crises and the search for a robust
\nmonetary system and others. Modern society does not have room for
\ndiscussing ethnic statistics in order to determine the ranking of
\nethnic groups. Such a discussion is poisonous to our lives.<\/p>\n
To illustrate this stance, let us have a brief look at the
\nbuilding of an international space station which is now in
\nprogress as reported by the Post (Dec. 8 and 9, 1998). The
\nreports depict how \"the Russian-built Zarya control module and
\nAmerican-made Unity chamber were connected\" by the crews of the
\nspace shuttle Endeavor.<\/p>\n
A bit of fantasy and vision will help us to portray this event
\nas a touching human experience. Keeping in mind that the process
\ninvolves several nations that were great enemies to each other
\nduring the Cold War and that the parts (Zarya and Unity) that now
\nstick together in outer space were produced hundreds of miles
\naway on earth, we can see that this \"terrific wedding of Zarya
\nand Unity\" is a symbol of human unity.<\/p>\n
This spectacular achievement is only possible because humans
\nare now strengthened by their similarities and enriched by their
\ndiversity. But this beautiful vision will suddenly vanish once we
\nare fed with ethnic statistics with their potential to bring
\nracism alive.<\/p>\n
That ethnic statistics belong to the past is also demonstrated
\nby the aged census going as far back as 1930 referred to by a
\ncontributor in the Post.<\/p>\n
It is interesting to note that reference to the year 1930,
\nwhich was precisely between the two world wars, may remind us of
\nthe era when colonialism and racism were at their peaks.
\nHitlerism was blossoming. Therefore, avoiding shallow debate on
\nethnic statistics is wise because of that debate's potential to
\ncreate devout followers of Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n
This last section offers some points of view that may help
\nreaders in envisaging the beauty of humanity and appreciating the
\nachievement of the whole humankind through interracial and
\nuniversal interactions. Indeed, these points of view are wide
\nopen for further debate and criticism as they will enrich our
\nunderstanding of humanity.<\/p>\n
First, ethnicity is not a human choice. It is a gift from the
\ngreat Creator, a choice of God Almighty. Therefore, we are
\nrequired to accept and respect the diversity of ethnic groups
\njust as we accept and respect ourselves. We are not in a position
\nto make any fuss about whether someone belongs to the majority or
\nminority group. If we can respect someone's choice of religion or
\npolitical party, which we believe is among the basic human
\nrights, then why can't we honor our Creator's choice?<\/p>\n
Second, due to the ethnically mixed nature of modern
\nhumankind, correct ethnic statistics will never exist. Accurate
\n\"ethnic statistics\" only apply to animals because a horse does
\nnot marry a dog, nor does a lion marry a snake. But human beings
\nare different. More and more modern marriages are not restricted
\nby race and skin colors. Therefore, it is very difficult, or even
\nimpossible, to identify many people with certain ethnic groups.
\nPopular singer Mariah Carey, for example, as illustrated in the
\nPost (Nov. 29, 1998), \"was born to an Irish-American mother and a
\nfather who was half African-American and half-Venezuelan, which
\nmakes her one-quarter black.\" In such a situation, efforts to
\nexploit ethnic statistics will only result in frustration.<\/p>\n
Third, more than physical blend, humanity is rich with the
\n\"mix of manners, customs, cultures, knowledge, and consciences.\"
\nOur visions, dreams, expectations, feelings, worries and others
\nare merging and adjusting to each other as a result of our
\ninterracial relationships. This process builds up our conscience
\nand upholds our dignity and demands of us that we drop ethnic
\nstatistics in the rubbish bin.<\/p>",
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