Mixed marriages

Mixed marriages

Thank you for raising the debate on the legal position of mixed marriages. I hope that, on this occasion, rather than railing at the apparent injustices and double standards imposed on multiracial couples - an approach not only naive but also pointless in that it has, so far, fallen on deaf ears - we might perhaps look for a more practical solution.

An alternative direction might be to first attempt to understand why non-Indonesian women can gain residence after marrying Indonesian nationals, whereas this option is not currently open to non-Indonesian men.

In so doing, we might be able to get to the root of the apparently illogical problem and perhaps address the reservations that the decision-makers have about us.

A recent survey in Tempo regarding the public's opinion on interethnic marriages may give some clues. A large percentage of respondents objected to mixed marriages between ethnic Chinese Indonesians and indigenous Indonesians.

Although, no figures exist as yet on interracial unions here, I would expect that if this is the case for the group mentioned, it would likely be doubly true for marriages which are not only interethnic but also interracial.

If we look at issues in relation to the culture, which is patriarchal in nature, the double standard becomes easier to understand. In societies such as these the position, status and rights of women are inevitably secondary. A man will not be questioned unduly for taking a foreign wife. In sharp contrast, a woman marrying outside her race is ostracized.

This may perhaps be because the signal she is sending to men from within her own race is not one that pleases them.

If we add the historical context to this issue, it is apparent that foreigners might be viewed as a threat and therefore undesirable. Indonesia has suffered in the past at the hands of foreign men who were often less than kind. It is therefore understandable that we are perhaps unfairly viewed with a certain antipathy.

It would seem our case is hopeless unless we can convince the decision-makers that, rather than being a barely tolerated necessary evil, we are able to actively contribute to the development of the country and that the advantages of having us here far outweigh the disadvantages. I welcome any constructive ideas on this.

ROSS GULLIVER

Jakarta