Laws against Chinese culture

Jusuf Wanandi, in his article Indonesia must win back its Chinese community made some important suggestions for racial harmony in Indonesia. But he did not mention the need to repeal the laws against Chinese names, literature, religion and ceremonies.

While people of some other ethnic groups, such as the Irianese and Dayaks, suffer discrimination in some of these areas, only the Chinese suffer such a wide range of assaults on their ancestral traditions.

These laws constitute a policy of victimization which implies that the ethnic Chinese deserve to be singled out and stripped of their cultural identity.

History tells us that there is little difference between wiping out people's culture and wiping out the people themselves.

As soon as violence escalates the one passes seamlessly into the other. It makes little sense for the government to attempt to condemn racist attacks during the recent riots while at the same time maintaining laws which justify racism.

JOHN HARGREAVES

Jakarta