TheJakartaPost
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Your letters: Foreign immigrants in Depok
For sure some kind of ad hoc made-up crime
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or sure some kind of ad hoc made-up crime. But since it concerns those generic foreigners (and the term 'foreigners' for the common Indonesian mostly means the bule version ' although it concerns in this case Nigerians and Iranians) it is surely connected with spreading Christianity because, again, for the most part, common Indonesians have been groomed since youth that they associate 'foreigner' with bule. And a bule means enemy of the state, suspected pedophile, stealing Indonesian women and land, drug addict (or drug lord), no morals, alcoholic, frantic porn consumer, imperialist, American (alternatively Dutch or Australian), you can always ask for uang rokok (tips), can be called loudly bule by any schoolchild, regardless of your age and social standing, disturbs the harmony of Indonesia and so on and on.
Anyway, in this case I believe, since it concerns Iranians, they mean most possibly Shia Islam, which is a big no-no for the Sunni Islam masses.
Same as with drugs here ' all foreigners thrown in one pot. Come on immigration, which few countries are over and over again popping up on your list of illegal immigrants and committing crimes in Indonesia?
I also appeal to The Jakarta Post (and other media) not to use this generic 'foreigners' word when describing it. Name the countries!
I feel seriously offended and angry to be thrown into the same pot with those criminals. I am an honorable person with the best intentions, I provide serious jobs that are well paid to educated Indonesians (sometimes hard to find, though), I separate garbage and don't litter, I don't involve myself in crimes of any kind (including 'spreading false religions'), pay my taxes on time, follow rules and laws (which many around me don't), stay legally in this country, am involved in substantial charity as part of my and my company's social responsibility, don't mingle in other people's private lives, my company is strongly committed and involved in improving education (without superficial religious hocus-pocus) and infrastructure.
Anyway, what on earth is the crime 'spreading false religions'?
That treatment (including press conferences presenting the culprits) is reserved only for drug kingpins who dare to bring 3 grams of highly addictive marijuana into the country.
Gordon Freeman
Jakarta
