Indonesia's minorities

Once again the Christians of the world, and with them many others, are about to celebrate Christmas, also known as the feast of peace.

Peace, unfortunately, is something that cannot be found in too many places on earth. Day by day one reads about wars, skirmishes, ethnic cleansing, the murder of innocents, etc., etc. A gruesome tale of bloody horrors.

Lately, Indonesia is also included in these newspaper articles, and although I can understand some of the reasons that prompt people to become aggressive toward others, I can hardly understand why minorities with different beliefs have to suffer, why businessmen of Chinese origin have their life's existence burned down just because there are some Chinese-Indonesians with whom the past and present governments engaged in collusion, or why churches have to be burned down. None of these atrocities will solve the crisis Indonesia is suffering through, but they will prompt more tourists to stay away, and spend their money somewhere else. It will also lead to more ethnic minorities leaving the country, intolerance and chaos, and it will not fill one hungry stomach.

The "good landlord" Soeharto, who made US$3 million renting out two houses, which, at an average of $5,000 per month, would have taken him about 25 years, perhaps a bit less considering the interest, his clan and his still active former cronies; these are the targets at which one should vent one's anger and frustration. This is happening, to a certain extent, but students alone probably will be too weak to do the job this time. It would require an effort by all independent parties and organizations, and the military would have to be won over as well, which could help them regain a lot of their recently lost credibility. But this is a Christmas wish probably nobody will grant me, at least not in the short run.

This only leaves me hoping for a better future for Indonesia, and to wish all readers, in particular my friends and former colleagues, a happy Christmas and hopefully a better new year.

ROLAND WOEHRLE

Cambridgeshire

England, UK