Good old colonial days?

This is my instantaneous reaction to Mr. de Jong's suggestions, asking The Jakarta Post to teach the readers about the good old colonial days and his pretension of knowing better about what's going on in this country than 99 percent of the pure Indonesians (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 27, 1994: Omissions in the Post.)

Sir, did you have a great-grandfather who was hanged for planting the wrong crops, that could feed his family during the Forced Crop regime? (Dutch: Cultuur Stelsel). Then, sir, you don't know.

Did your sister serve as a Nyai for 20 years and then lose all her rights to her half-white children, home, fruit of her labors with no compensation at all? Then, sir, you don't know.

Did you hear the cries of the women who were left by their so- called "husbands" who took away their children, with no rights, never to see them again because it was institutionalized? Then, sir, you don't know.

Were you ever a plantation laborer who got kicked, abused and humiliated in "Dickensonian" conditions on a daily basis, transported far away from their loved ones, never to return? Then, sir, you don't know.

As a bright child were you ever humiliated by big-bellied, powerful white men, just because you wanted to join the school where they taught? Then, sir, you don't know.

Have you ever lived in constant fear, and tread carefully through life so you won't be humiliated again and again, just because your skin has a different color? Then, sir, you don't know.

Did your father ever slave for a few cents a day while his white masters earned thousands of guilders a month? Then, sir, you don't know.

Have you ever noticed the condescending, paternalistic, know- all (Dutch: betweterig) attitude some Dutch have when talking about Indonesia? Then, sir, you don't know.

Indeed, certainly you don't know better than 99 percent of the people. I know, sir, because I am one of them.

INA SUMARSONO

Jakarta