Good old colonial days?<\/p>\n
This is my instantaneous reaction to Mr. de Jong's
\nsuggestions, asking The Jakarta Post to teach the readers about
\nthe good old colonial days and his pretension of knowing better
\nabout what's going on in this country than 99 percent of the pure
\nIndonesians (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 27, 1994: Omissions in the
\nPost.)<\/p>\n
Sir, did you have a great-grandfather who was hanged for
\nplanting the wrong crops, that could feed his family during the
\nForced Crop regime? (Dutch: Cultuur Stelsel). Then, sir, you
\ndon't know.<\/p>\n
Did your sister serve as a Nyai for 20 years and then lose all
\nher rights to her half-white children, home, fruit of her labors
\nwith no compensation at all? Then, sir, you don't know.<\/p>\n
Did you hear the cries of the women who were left by their so-
\ncalled \"husbands\" who took away their children, with no rights,
\nnever to see them again because it was institutionalized? Then,
\nsir, you don't know.<\/p>\n
Were you ever a plantation laborer who got kicked, abused and
\nhumiliated in \"Dickensonian\" conditions on a daily basis,
\ntransported far away from their loved ones, never to return?
\nThen, sir, you don't know.<\/p>\n
As a bright child were you ever humiliated by big-bellied,
\npowerful white men, just because you wanted to join the school
\nwhere they taught? Then, sir, you don't know.<\/p>\n
Have you ever lived in constant fear, and tread carefully
\nthrough life so you won't be humiliated again and again, just
\nbecause your skin has a different color? Then, sir, you don't
\nknow.<\/p>\n
Did your father ever slave for a few cents a day while his
\nwhite masters earned thousands of guilders a month? Then, sir,
\nyou don't know.<\/p>\n
Have you ever noticed the condescending, paternalistic, know-
\nall (Dutch: betweterig) attitude some Dutch have when talking
\nabout Indonesia? Then, sir, you don't know.<\/p>\n
Indeed, certainly you don't know better than 99 percent of the
\npeople. I know, sir, because I am one of them.<\/p>\n
INA SUMARSONO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/good-old-colonial-days-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }