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arch 7, p. 7

It all started when I overheard some of my neighboring countrymen refer to an Indonesian as an “Indon”. I never expected that I would hear such a word in this campus. To my understanding, there would not be any educated person using the word.

Surprisingly, some Indonesians refer to themselves as an “Indon” on their Facebook statuses. These statuses undoubtedly cause a great number of controversial comments.

Many, if not all, criticized the use of “Indon”. Most comments suggested that the term is derogatory to
Indonesians. I then did a Google search and found some newspaper articles on the issue.

Interestingly but unsurprisingly, Google linked to some other news about “Indon” that were written either by Indonesians or Malaysians. (By Nelly Martin, Madison, Wisconsin)

Your comments:

It is an interesting article. This article shows that the following phrases are correct: “Respect others, respect yourself”.

By any means, respecting others started with the ways we “call” others. Calling others names in a joking way seems to be far from a habitual action done by an educated person.

Therefore, Nelly addresses the idea that an educated person, whoever he or she is, he or she knows how to “call” others as well. Good job for your country, Nelly.

Syayid Sandi Sukandi
Padang

Be open-minded, this is only a shortened version of naming, as long as people do not use it negatively. An Australian is called Aussie, a Hong Kong person is called Hongki, Malaysian is called Malay and Japanese is called Jap.

So what’s wrong for an Indonesian to be “Indon”?

Henri
Jakarta

While we’re on this subject, please don’t call Australians “Aussies”. Also it’s called the Commonwealth of Australia thanks, and don’t call me a bule (foreigner) unless you’re a bule. Yawn.

Peter
Kuta, Bali

While this article is precise enough, I have a hard time accepting that a Fulbright scholar would cite an Urban Dictionary entry.

Michel de Wilde
Jakarta

It will be offensive when white people say “nigger”, but not if it’s an African-American who says it. I think it’s the same case for Indon.

Spice
The Netherlands

Being used to being called bule by those who don’t even understand the term, for too long now. I like it, finding it apposite and timely.

Maurice Gold
Sanur, Bali

“Like some Americans that find ‘nigger’ derogatory, ‘Indon’, for most Indonesians, resonates the same meaning.”

Well, actually it doesn’t. Perhaps it’s being used as a derogatory term by some lazy, moronic Malaysians, but basically it means nothing to people who still have a common sense. Calling someone names is easy, having a good name requires character.

Nico Eliezer
Sydney

As Indonesians, let’s stop using “that” word to represent Indonesian or Indonesia, say Indonesians for the people and the Republic of Indonesia.

Dyah Setyorini
Jakarta

I think the term “Indon” should not be used anymore. I have one suggestion to Malaysians not to mention “Indon” for Indonesian.

Satrio
Jakarta

No matter and whatever you call us, the most important thing is not fight or racially slur the Republic. Peace for all.

Endang Rahayu
Jakarta

If the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed not to use the word Indon, then the citizens of the two countries should not use the word.

Nurbella
Jakarta

“Indon” should not be used again, so that relations between the two countries is not easily tampered with and used by people who want to divide. Greetings of peace from Indonesia.

Joko Dolok
Jakarta

I think we must start with ourselves. Don’t say “Indon”.

Nha Ahmad
Jakarta

Everybody knows that “Indon” originally referred to TKI (migrant workers) in Malaysia. Only these days, every Indonesian is “Indon” to any Malaysian.

Both countries have been in dispute ever since the founding days. We just haven’t come up with the “proper” slur to address our neighbors, to call it even. That’s why
everyone is so mad about it.

Nobody’s mad when we address white people as bule. Am I the only one who knows it’s actually a derogatory term, derived from the word bulai, meaning “albino”?

Talk about equality and fairness.Oh, by the way, Indonesia is not even the country’s name. If you care enough to check, it’s the Republic of Indonesia, actually.

Esther Hasugian
Bandung

I grew up in getting used with the word “Indon”, as long as it is used with a proper intonation and the adjective that follows can be considered “proper”, I have no objections or whatsoever with the term used.

It’s almost the same when Indonesians use the words orang Jawa (Javanese person) or orang Chinese.

“Indon”, for me, is just a word term most Malaysians would use when they’re referring to Indonesians. It is their custom to shorten words, so I guess I have no issues with it.

John
Jakarta

Thank you, you finally wrote something about it. During all my years overseas, I’ve been wondering why Indonesia was shortened to “Indo” or “Indon” and thinking how stupid that sounded.

Then I learned about the derogatory background, and despised it even more. What’s so bloody hard to pronounce your own country’s name in full, anyway?

Lynda Ibrahim
Jakarta