Where to lay blame

As a foreigner in this country, many events in Indonesia over recent months have caused me great dismay. Yet another disappointment was added to the list on reading the article published July 30 by Mr. Masli Arman titled Ethnic Chinese at fault for riots. Without wishing to go over old ground already covered by other readers in previous letters, it is worth reiterating that arrogance and prejudice are not limited to any particular ethnic group, a point that Mr. Arman seems to demonstrate very clearly.

Of course, we can all find examples of arrogance and abuse if we care to look. And if we focus on just one ethnic group, then, surprise, surprise, we will only see examples from one ethnic group. And herein lies the danger of Mr. Arman's own racial prejudice, which he goes to such lengths to blame on others. As someone who has had the privilege to study abroad and who then makes us all aware of his intellectual prowess, it is a shame that all he can offer us is half-baked intellectual reasoning to justify simplistic and racially motivated views on what is a highly complex and admittedly emotive issue.

It is a sad day when anyone can attempt to infer that mass murder, rape, arson and robbery are "predictable" responses to the supposed arrogance of one relatively small racial group. In other more normal countries, acts of abuse can be brought to trial. In fact, any victim of acts of criminal wrongdoing can seek retribution through the courts. What makes Indonesia so different is that there is no tradition or confidence in this type of solution, the result of more than 30 years of misuse and manipulation by people with power and money. As a result, the tendency in Indonesia seems to be one of taking the law into one's own hands.

Or worse, blatant disregard for normal law-abiding standards of behavior. Sorry, Mr. Arman, but surely the responsibility here rests fairly and squarely with the Indonesian government. As we all know, the ethnic Chinese are not given the opportunity to participate or contribute to this enormously important field of national life. And if it doesn't rest with the government then it rests with the individuals in all the organizations that support the government, such as the Armed Forces, the Police and the civil service, once again the domain of predominantly indigenous Indonesians.

On first reading this article I was rather shocked that The Jakarta Post could give prominence to such a racially biased view. But in retrospect, well done! You have provoked an outcry, and in so doing, enriched the debate on this subject, while also exposing the dangers of intellectual arguments being used to generate further racial tension and discord.

PETER MILNE

Jakarta