A few days ago, some friends and I were having a rather lively and heated discussion concerning the appropriateness of us foreign visitors being critical of certain behavior of Indonesian people.
The behavior to which I am referring is that which endangers the health, safety or quality of life of all people in Indonesia, native and foreign alike. What gave rise to the discussion was that I had recounted how, a few days previously, I had witnessed a young girl, perhaps of junior high school age, pull her motorcycle to the side of the road and throw a large plastic bag of garbage away.
As she was riding away, I slowed my motorcycle and said, in a loud enough voice for her to hear me, "Whoa! Whaa!" She looked at me with a very guilty look on her face and drove away. After telling this story, one friend told me he does not feel we expatriates have any right to be either judgmental or critical of the Indonesians; that we are visitors to their country and visitors should never criticize their hosts.
He feels this is so, even in regard to that small percentage of motorcycle drivers who endanger the life and limb of everyone else on the streets; or of people smoking, for example, at the dinner table in a restaurant; or to people disposing of their plastic garbage on the streets and in the rivers.
He has told me his views on a number of occasions, and while I respect his opinion, I have always disagreed with him. I do agree we have no right to be judgmental of people who engage in this or similar behavior, meaning to decide if they are good or bad people, but rather we have a right to be critical of their behavior, as being good or bad for the country and for society.
My admonition to the young lady was neither loud nor harsh, but certainly disapproving, and her guilty look told me that she knew what she had done was inappropriate. My hope was she would perhaps think twice next time she had trash to dispose of.
The experience of the lunch and the strong response of the other people left me confused and even questioning of my long-held position, which is that we all, as citizens of the world, have an obligation to do what we can to increase the quality of life and the health and safety of everyone, whether they are from our home country or residents of our host country.
I feel this is true whether we are talking about trash disposal, paying bribes to government officials, driving very fast and erratically on motorcycles or smoking in enclosed areas. I have lived in Bali for 15 years. While I am extremely respectful of the customs and behavior of the Balinese people, I nevertheless have always felt a responsibility to become involved when anybody's behavior is harmful or injurious to others.
I know one learns morals and ethics more from peer pressure and from one's interaction with others than from any other source. I always hope that my approval or disapproval might perhaps induce someone, sometime, to change a harmful behavior to a more beneficial one.
I therefore decided to write of this experience in order to ask for feedback from a wider audience, from Indonesians and expatriates alike. Do we foreigners, who live in Indonesia and who obviously love the place and people, have the right, morally and ethically, to even have a critical opinion, let alone to act on our opinions, when the health, safety and quality of life of everyone in the community is endangered?
Did I have the right to say "Whoa! Whaa" to the young lady? Do I have the right to display anger at a motorcyclist when he or she drives in a manner endangering me, and others, on the road? Do I have the right to express displeasure when someone smokes in a restaurant when I am attempting to enjoy my meal? I hope some readers will respond with their opinions
James Taylor
Denpasar
