Discrimination not good

Discrimination not good

I'm responding to Mr Farid Baskoro's Western view published in
the "Your Letters" column of The Jakarta Post on June 22, 1995.

Dear Mr Farid Baskoro, it is always good to bring attention to
people's mistakes, especially when it concerns discrimination of
race. Of course, the behavior of the people mentioned in your
letter is certainly wrong. But, don't put too much butter on your
head, because you are suggesting in your letter that racial
discrimination is something purely western. I assure you that
this is not true.

I've already spent a long time in Indonesia and heard many
discriminatory remarks from Indonesians. When I, or another
westerner, wants to buy something, we have to pay more or have to
bargain much longer because we are white. The distinction is made
purely on the color of our skin and is, therefore, as
discriminating as your examples.

Another example is that foreign tourists at the Prambanan and
Borobudur Temples have to pay five times as much as Indonesian
nationals (maybe understandable) and that these tourists are
distinguished from Indonesians only by the color of their skin.
When I lived in Yogyakarta, I went to Borobudur with twelve
Indonesian friends and was picked out of the row because I was
white. My father, who is dark colored had no problem obtaining a
'WNI' ticket when he tried, after hearing my story.

So, please Mr Farid Baskoro, do not talk about discrimination
as if it is something only western people do. Look also at the
other side and do not try to find something to pinpoint on
westerners only, to say how bad they are, but try to convince
everybody that discrimination itself is not good.

EGBERT MONE

Bekasi, West Java