One cannot avoid being born Chinese

When I began reading Masli Arman's article Ethnic Chinese at fault for riots of July 30, I at first thought it was an interesting satirical piece, albeit in somewhat poor taste.

However, when I realized he was writing in earnest, my response turned to shock and incredulity. The conclusion he draws from his examples of Chinese "arrogant attitude" are amazing for someone who claim to not be "narrow-minded or chauvinistic". How can he casually justify massive murder, arson, rape and robbery as a response to "insulting remarks" or other injustices committed by a particular shopkeeper or individual? Appropriate responses by a majority of the community in such cases might include demanding an apology or not shopping in the offensive individual's store, or, in the case of crimes committed, by prosecution under the criminal laws or by civil suit for damages. But instead, the majority of the community engaged in what he terms "predictable riots", in which hundreds of people who were not involved in the provoking incident suffered mistreatment at the hands of mobs, simply because they were of Chinese descent. I would call that blatant injustice.

In fact, Masli Arman has insulted the good name of Moslems and people of Malay descent by implying that they would "predictably" respond in such an obviously unjust and unspiritual manner. According to either Islam or indigenous Indonesian cultures, is it considered okay to commit murder, rape, arson or theft against people just because someone else of the same race or ethnic group made an offensive remark or even perpetrated some crime? Clearly not.

I suggest to Pak Masli that he ponder honestly what his feelings and attitudes might be had he and his family been born as ethnic Chinese. For no one can choose who their parents are, nor in what land they are born. And, obviously, social conditions and attitudes are more likely to be determined by the majority than by the minority.

LAUREN SILVER

Lawang, East Java