Chinese-Indonesians

At the beginning of World War II, Japanese-American citizens were put in concentration camps throughout the United States by then president Roosevelt. Sensing this mistake, the government subsequently released them and later on, the Japanese-Americans formed Japanese battalions in the American army fighting against Japan. Japanese-Americans have been respected citizens of their country ever since.

Our badminton champions, most of them Chinese-Indonesians, have defended the honor of Indonesia, despite the fact many of their associates left the country. We have a lot of respect for them.

But when my wife was a lecturer in philosophy at the Taruma Negara university 10 years ago, many Chinese-Indonesians confessed they had their passports ready to leave the country in case of trouble here.

Unless they change their siege mentality, the feeling of always being victimized and the lack of commitment to this country, what happened not so long ago will be repeated over and over again.

Mr. Chen Hsueh Chuang's opinion in his letter in the May 23 edition of The Jakarta Post -- that Chinese-Indonesians fought alongside us against the Dutch -- is erroneous. Maybe Mr. Chen was still too young to know. Most Chinese-Indonesians fled the country or worked with the Dutch, while we struggled to get independence.

SUMARSONO SASTROWARDOYO

Sawangan, West Java