Narrow-minded attitude

Narrow-minded attitude

Any doubts I previously harbored regarding the source of
racial bigotry were certainly brought to light in the July 30
article published by The Jakarta Post and penned by Mr. Masli
Arman.

I was born in Indonesia in 1947 to poor immigrants of Chinese
ethnicity who lived in Sumatra prior to the forming of this great
nation. I would at this time like to remind Mr. Arman that prior
to Aug. 17, 1945, Indonesia as a nation did not exist. I have
been Indonesian for 51 years. Some, at most, have been Indonesian
for two years more than I. I have lived here all my life. I went
to local schools and was raised with my classmates. I learned to
speak languages by becoming a tour guide and escorting visitors
through the scenic marvels of North Sumatra. Our family was never
in a position to offer anything more than a roof over my head, a
mat to sleep on and a meal at the end of the day.

It is with great indignity that I read comments by the likes
of Mr. Arman and accept his twisted view of reality. This
"racially derived arrogant attitude and superiority complex" that
Mr. Arman refers to was perhaps conjured one morning while
looking in the mirror. How can someone who abandons his country
to seek education elsewhere, then takes that education and
applies it not here, but in several countries, begin to even
suggest that he shares the social values of the nation he claims
to be an indigenous person of.

By his own admission, "Since obtaining my undergraduate and
post graduate degrees from an Australian university in the 1950s,
I worked until recently for a number of large mining and oil
companies in several countries" he felt himself better than his
nation of birth could provide. Where have you been the past 40
years Mr. Arman? And furthermore, where, in the formative years
of this nation, did anybody receive the funds to afford overseas
education for their children? Perhaps what we have here is the
root source of the corruption, collusion and nepotism that has
caused such great harm to the social, political and economic
fabric of our nation.

What I read here is a classic case of someone looking for a
scapegoat. By his own estimates, 30 percent of the ethnic Chinese
"are either indifferent to or reject the idea of assimilation".
That's 30 percent of six million or 1.8 million people, less than
1 percent of the nation's total. This sounds more to me like
chronic paranoia if Mr. Arman can place the cause of social
unrest on that sector of the population. What was he studying in
Australia?

I would like to remind Mr. Arman that with the exception of
the Orang Asli (the indigenous) we are all immigrants. If there
is assimilation or greater sensitivity that needs to be
demonstrated by anyone, why not start with yourself. Where else
in the civilized world are people labeled as second-class
citizens at birth, not because of the country they are born in,
but simply because of their ancestors' origins? Or perhaps in Mr.
Arman's near lifetime absence from Indonesia he is unaware that
children of ethnic Chinese receive identity cards beginning with
the number 2, subject to discrimination for the rest of their
lives.

I certainly hope, Mr. Arman, that these views you so boldly
publicize are yours and yours alone and not coming from the
would-be leader of the Indonesian Neo Nazi party. If I may quote
you one more time, "As for the minority who may still persist in
refusing to assimilate and continue with their superior attitude,
I would suggest that they relinquish their Indonesian citizenship
and live elsewhere," might I suggest Mr. Arman, that you
relinquish your Indonesian citizenship, take your narrow-minded,
chauvinistic, bigoted superior attitude and go back to Australia.
I hear Pauline Hanson is looking for supporters.

ANDREAS F. LIMIN

Medan, North Sumatra