Laws against Chinese culture

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