Text your say: Discrimination?

Your comments on whether you think the ethnic Chinese community still faces discrimination after years of reform, which has led to changes such as Chinese New Year being declared a public holiday:

Not only do ethnic Chinese Indonesians experience racial discrimination, other minority groups in this country are still less fairly treated by the majority community.

Despite living for hundreds of years since the Republic existed, Chinese descendants are still counted as alien and are less likely to be accepted in certain public fields such as the police, army or civil service.

Obviously, this resulted from New Order regime’s policy of assimilating Chinese culture, yet at the same time, sowing the seeds of hatred and envy in society against Chinese people.

However, we are grateful that our late president, Gus Dur, restored the rights of the ethnic Chinese and provided equal opportunities for them to contribute their utmost to Indonesia’s future.

It is our shared responsibility, not merely the government’s, to unravel other kinds of discrimination and let peace rule in Indonesia.
Ronald
Jakarta

Our Pancasila is there to protect and unite all the population of the Indonesian archipelago; be they Indonesians of Chinese descent, of Dutch descent, of Filipino descent, of Indian descent, etc.

Please let us not corrupt or manipulate Pancasila for the sake of our party or religion for our selfish convenience and purposes.

Don’t we, as heads of family, long to have a harmonious family at home? Pancasila-wise, let us build a harmonious home of law-abiding citizens.

Our archipelago, from Sabang to Merauke is large; big enough to accommodate the still-growing population of 235 million.

With proper education, we expect the full adoption of and adherence to Pancasila for the good of all; we shall hear no more of the dirty word ‘racism’; or ‘rejection’ due to differences in religion, which is totally embarrassing if not stupidly degrading.
Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta

The discrimination is still there, but now it has two faces. On one side, the government seems to restrict Chinese involvement in governmental works, while on the other, the government permits them to build or spread their own dynasty.

Who dares to say that they are the most repressed or the poorest group in this country now? Only the poorest should be referred to as being discriminated against. The real question now is: Who creates the discrimination anyway?
Robinson Elohansen

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