Please, don't generalize

Mr. Sumarsono Sastrowardoyo, allow me to write the following in response to your letter of July 29, 1998, in which you write that "Today, only expatriates like Donna Woodward in Indonesia are able to give an objective account of this emotional issue without receiving wrath of the Chinese community, who are feeling victimized. Feeling victimized means blaming others for their fate, always feeling right and never admitting mistakes."

Unless I am mistaken, three of your earlier statements were similar to the one quoted above and have been countered by other writers. You may have encountered some victims of the mid-May riot or ethnic Chinese with such thought patterns. I would also be saddened and disappointed by ethnic Chinese with such a thought pattern (particularly those who may have directly fallen victims to acts of violence). I admit and will not deny that it is true that a small number of ethnic Chinese are still narrow- minded. Obviously, however, this is no reason at all for you to generalize that all ethnic Chinese adopt the same behavior.

In an analogy, I will not say that all ethnic Chinese are as praise-worthy in terms of nationalism as Kwik Kian Gie and Arief Budiman. I do hope, however, that ethnic Chinese will hold up Kwik and Arief, for example, as their models. In the same way, we cannot generalize that because the perpetrators of the mid-May riots and gang rapes and recent looting are a bunch of indigenous Indonesians, all indigenous Indonesians are of the same type. Only insane and narrow-minded people will make such a dangerous generalization. If anybody should make such a generalization he must be one of the few who chooses to tarnish the reputation of our nation at home and abroad.

Our most important agenda now is to join forces, regardless of ethnicity, racial origin and religion to eliminate racist practices and racial discrimination so that the Indonesian nation, famous for its diversity, will be able to live in peace and harmony and carry out development undertakings. Look at the U.S. and Malaysia. They are more progressive than us in this respect and have proven that pluralism is no barrier to harmonious living. Why can't we do the same?

Mr. Sastrowardoyo, if you appreciate Donna K. Woodward's objective analysis of this emotion-charged issue, as other readers and I do -- there have been no counter arguments from other readers so far -- allow me to end by quoting part of one of your letters: "If you are being criticized, please do not feel you are being victimized, because it can lead to blaming others, always feeling right and never admitting mistakes.

IGNATIUS LAUREN

Jakarta