Chinese-Indonesians victims of hypocrisy

I believe that everything that happens, does so for a reason. And every action we do will be counteracted by another's reaction. Therefore, I think that parts of the reasoning implied in the article Ethnic Chinese at fault for riots of July 30, are simply prejudicial and hypocritical.

The writer (Masli Arman) should have at least tried to admit that the fault is not only with the Chinese-Indonesian society. He wrote that Chinese-Indonesians frequently refer to indigenous Indonesians as inferior fanqui, but he failed to write that indigenous Indonesians refer to Chinese-Indonesians as Cina or Cina kafir (Chinese unbelievers), in an insulting tone. And what is wrong with speaking hua yu (Mandarin) to another Chinese -Indonesian? Hasn't the writer ever seen Javanese people speaking together in Javanese, or Sundanese people speaking together in Sundanese? Even some of our government officials speak their ethnic language in public. Can the writer blame them too?

Furthermore, why should Chinese-Indonesians change their Chinese names, while Arab-Indonesians and Indian-Indonesians retain their ethnic names? Hasn't the writer ever met Arab- Indonesians named Ali or Indian-Indonesians named Singh? What is in the name? Does the writer think that if Tan Joe Hok or Kwik Kian Gie changed their names, they would be perceived as more indigenous or patriotic?

The most horrible implication of the article is that the writer seemed to be trying to justify the riots targeted at Chinese-Indonesians. He suggested that because some Chinese- Indonesians have made mistakes in the past, it is justifiable for indigenous Indonesians to carry out a vendetta against Chinese- Indonesians in general. Does Indonesia as a nation apply jungle law now? I think the writer should ask himself harder whether it is true that he is not a narrow-minded or chauvinistic person.

RUDY GUNAWAN

Jakarta