Chinese-Indonesian issue

Ms. Donna K. Woodward's letter on July 23, 1998, was her second on the Chinese/indigenous subject. In the first letter, she basically dismissed the magnitude of unfair discrimination against the Chinese-Indonesians by saying that the indigenous Indonesians would rather have their IDs marked rather than be alienated from the economic sector.

In her second letter, she liberally used the term "Chinese business community" and associated it with collusive practices in Indonesia to the effect that every Chinese businessperson will be included in this category, whether or not he/she is guilty of collusion.

First, I would like to bring to her attention that it is simply ridiculous to generalize that all Chinese get special treatment, while the indigenous are discriminated against in the economic sector. Where did she get the data from for this absurd allegation? Both Chinese and indigenous people, generally, are equally welcomed or restricted in the business sector (in fact, the hurdle for Chinese is more higher in that they have to dig deeper into their pockets). The difference is whether they have talent, a strong will, persistence, dedication and, in some cases, money and access to power. The vast majority of Chinese businesses thrive through years of hard work and networking. However, their success in business has little to do with the fact of them being Chinese. They, like everyone else in the country, including multinational companies, do bribe in order to get things done. This is part of this society's culture, the blame of which should be directed at 32 years of defective governance system and leadership.

If I, a Chinese-Indonesian, decided to have my own business one of these days, the likelihood would be that I would have to put everything I have into the venture for it to work, probably only to find it flop not in a so-distant future because I have neither talent, money, strong will nor access to power.

Perhaps she would like to read the news of a Chinese family (a father and four children) in Singkawang who committed suicide due to the unbearable pressure they were facing caused by the crisis. There are many more Chinese like them everywhere in Indonesia who never get their way up to newspapers or televisions, unlike their kin who drive Volvos and own giant conglomerates.

What she said in her letter only touched the surface of a cornucopia of Chinese/indigenous issues that reaches far deeper than what is just readily seen by the naked eye. The Chinese businesspeople, particularly some really big ones, do have a role in the current crisis we are facing but why single out their ethnicity while the problems have little relevance to ethnic issues? One shouldn't forget also their role as the engine of the country's economy for the past 30 years, if it is really necessary to highlight their ethnicity when talking about bad things that are happening here.

I hope everyone can see that the issue is not about Chinese- Indonesians but rather the dismal failure of the old regime in guaranteeing a just and prosperous society open in every sector to everyone, regardless of social status and religious and racial background, to contribute and have a share of.

RAHAYU RATNANINGSIH

Jakarta