Racial implication

Racial implication

Mr. Widjaja's remarks about pribumi (indigenous people) and
non-pribumi (nonindigenous people) in his letter Indonesians of
Chinese descent on June 20 is right. The distinction of
indigenous and nonindigenous people has a racial overtone.

In fact the burning, looting and raping of ethnic Chinese
which the world saw last May surpassed the pogroms against the
Jews in Europe. It was the end result of a policy, systematically
pursued for decades by the Soeharto government, to foment racial
hatred against the Chinese minority. Even the pejorative name
Cina was deliberately chosen to humiliate and disgrace the ethnic
Chinese.

It is the imperative task of the present government not only
to overcome the economic crisis, but also to restore the good and
harmonious relations among all ethnic groups in Indonesia.

In this sense I would like to see the government take steps to
prohibit the use of pejoratives, including the now popular name
bule for whites.

Why can't we simply say orang kulit putih?

ERIKO SUNARDO

Vienna, Austria