Blaming the victim

In his letter of June 30, Mr. Sumarsono finds fault with the fact that many Chinese-Indonesians chose to flee the country during the riots which engulfed Indonesia several weeks ago. He also cites their siege mentality, feeling of victimization and lack of commitment as reasons why they will continue to be victimized. Mr. Sumarsono prefers to blame the victim rather than look in the mirror and realize that, because of people with attitudes like his, Indonesia is a country where the ethnic minority is systematically persecuted and lives under the constant threat of racial terror.

First it needs to be stated that many Chinese-Indonesians did not leave the country before the riots broke out and we all know the consequences they suffered. Rampaging mobs stopping cars and motorcycles, and if the riders were ethnic Chinese, the vehicles were burned on the spot, the people beaten. Reports of rape of Chinese-Indonesian women by rioters are also widespread. Many shop/houses were ransacked and burned. Unfortunately, in this arrangement the owner's family often inhabits the top floor of the shop/house, and if the rioters set the bottom floor ablaze we can only wonder at the fate of its inhabitants trapped on the top floor. Even private residences were not exempt with whole housing complexes being invaded and ransacked by the mobs.

Its easy to understand why Chinese-Indonesian would try to escape in a crisis. They face discrimination on every level of government and society. Differentiated from natives by their identification card numbers, they must pay extra legal fees to process even the simplest of documents. Subject to restrictive quotas by government universities and excluded from employment in the civil service and Armed Forces, is it any wonder that they choose to become entrepreneurs? We all saw the signs posted in front of stores and houses which read "native Moslem property" despite the fact that Islam is a religion which is universal and knows no racial differentiation. Is this the reaction of an inclusive society or one which is fundamentally exclusive as well as pervasively racist?

Many political and social observers cite the disparity in economic wealth as the reason for the riots. If this is true, why weren't the scores of corrupt officials who live opulent lifestyles which cannot possibly be supported by their meager salaries as civil servants made targets? Mom-and-pop stores selling instant noodles, soft drinks and rice hardly qualify as financial giants but were also vandalized and burned for the sole reason that the owners were Chinese-Indonesian.

Among the demands of reformers is increased democracy and the enforcement of human rights. Democracy guarantees the rights of all its citizens regardless of race or religion and human rights are just that, universal rights for all people.

I think that in the spirit of reforms, it is time that all Indonesians contemplate the true meaning of the concepts of human rights and democracy, as well as how to apply them universally and fairly to all layers and segments of society including the ethnic Chinese minority. Until this society does so, real democracy and genuinely universal human rights will remain an elusive dream, and innocent people will continue to be persecuted.

JIWAY FRANCIS TUNG

Jakarta