Injustice

Injustice

Recent letters have raised the issues of residency, employment and inheritance with respect to the foreign party (in Indonesia) of a mixed marriage, i.e. Indonesian national and foreigner, and more importantly the status of the children of those marriages.

They are blameless for their parents' actions but have to bear the seemingly enormous injustices of the current system. With apologies to our two children -- Joe (5) and Mairin (1 month), who were both born here, may I contribute the following to the debate.

My mother's Sunda asli,

My father's from Australia.

My attempts at Indonesian citizenship

Have all ended up in failure.

Regardless that I was born here,

As was my mother too,

On my passport there's no Garuda

But an emu and a kangaroo.

My folks are bright, they did things right?

They went and tied the knot.

But citizenship and residency

Are two things I ain't got.

If Dad gets the sack, or worse still, dies!

I'm persona non grata!

Oh, woe is me! It seems to be,

I've chosen the wrong father!

The frustrations for my family

Could make them want to go out and get plastered,

Cause the only way that I can freely stay

Is as an Indonesian bastard!

GEORGE GORING

Bandung, West Java