Bishop Belo's statement

Bishop Belo's statement

From Kompas

Bishop Belo's statement in which he deplores the big-scale exodus of nonindigenous citizens in East Timor has impressed me. The condition in East Timor is replete with problems due to the economic crisis.

That condition has made me reflect again on the departure of Chinese-Indonesians from Indonesia. I think the two cases resemble each other. Only the contents are different. The nonindigenous community in East Timor feels menaced by the threats addressed to them by the local inhabitants, while the Chinese-Indonesians are feeling threatened to a higher degree because thousands of them saw their shops looted and burned, and others were tortured, raped and even killed.

I think it is only human and it stands to reason that members of both groups have fled. A group of people seeking refuge because they feel menaced is a matter that does not need to be debated. We can learn from the above two cases so that, together, we can build an environment that is safe and peaceful and full of love in true brotherly fashion.

F. DAVID SETIONO

Ciampea, West Java