Dual loyalty

It was interesting to read Arief Budiman's article regarding Bill Hayden's allegation that some Asian countries are racist (The Jakarta Post, April 19, 1996). I can't agree more with every aspect covered in it.

Racism is by no means exclusively a Caucasian trait. I believe it exists in every society of the world. People of every race tend to be racist at one time or another. Japan, for example, being such a homogeneous society has a tendency to exclude foreigners in many aspects of its people's lives on its own soil.

People identify with their roots. That's why we see the associations of Batak or Minang people in places outside their homelands. We don't regard Indonesians who have lived abroad for many years who miss their mother country, speak Indonesian among themselves, and maintain Indonesian traditions and culture as unpatriotic, disloyal or traitors to their new home.

What Masli Arman cited in his response to Arief Budiman's article (The Jakarta Post, April 23, 1996) was disturbingly absurd and ruthless at the same time.

He is, as his letter indicates, an avid supporter of equality and justice, hence, he doesn't believe in any kind of tyranny. But then he states that since non-indigenous people only comprise 3 percent of the population, they are not equal to the indigenous population and are therefore expected not to respect and maintain their heritage.

The fact that the Chinese only contribute a minuscule percentage to the Indonesian population should make him stop worrying about the Chinese culture's influence on Indonesian society. He shouldn't worry that native Indonesians will end up like the Indians in America.

He questioned why Indonesians of Chinese descent carry on the culture and traditions of the ancestral homeland they know little about, but -- almost in the next breath -- he confused me by implying that maintaining their cultural heritage would make them vulnerable to China's propaganda and cause dual loyalty. I don't see how the two arguments agree.

I don't see how his ethnocentric belief that the Chinese are merely "guests" in Indonesia, while in the United States the Chinese and all other races are equal because the real natives are Indians, justifies discriminating against the Chinese in Indonesia. Doesn't he also say that they have the same rights and obligations as Indonesian citizens?

I believe the discriminative economic policy currently practiced in Malaysia has only benefited Malays who had access to power and money in the first place. I agree with Arief Budiman that the policy should have been aimed at the less privileged of all ethnic groups.

I think, any culture, in itself, is neutral and beautiful. It's not meant to be a subject of suspicion. Being of Chinese descent myself, Chinese culture, though there is very little that I personally practice, doesn't make me feel more Chinese than Indonesian. Barring Chinese culture altogether to prevent dual loyalty is similar to banning miniskirts to prevent rape and sexual harassment. Dual loyalty, anyway, is something I doubt still exists in Indonesia.

Why kill a mosquito with a gun?

RAHAYU RATNANINGSIH

Jakarta