I'm surprised that Yogyakarta was found to be among the least tolerant cities in Indonesia, having previously lived there for about 16 years.

During my time in Yogyakarta, I felt it was among the safest cities in Indonesia. Indeed, Yogyakarta was one of the cities that suffered the least impact during the May 1998 riots.

Even though Yogyakarta was not immune from the riots, its inhabitants were mature enough not to indulge in the kind of wild behavior shown by people in other cities.

I believe that Yogyakarta is still a safe place, as evidenced by the absence of any large-scale riots or mass disruptions since May 1998.

Furthermore, popularly known as the city of education, Yogyakarta has for a long time attracted many students from other regions of Indonesia to study there.

As a result, Yogyakarta's people are used to meeting, accommodating and tolerating people whose origins, cultural backgrounds and habits are different from theirs.

This encourages Yogyakartans to have a better understanding about other people, irrespective of
their ethnicity, religion or place of origin.

As for Jakarta, I'm not surprised at its being classified as one of the most intolerant cities in Indonesia.

I see that the prevailing rule in Jakarta is that the stronger or more powerful you are, the more likely you are to gain control over others.

Yoga Taruna
Jakarta

The result of the research conducted by Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) shows that there are serious problems in tolerance in Indonesia.

Is regrettable that in spite of its image as a cosmopolitan city, Jakarta is one of the least tolerance places, while Yogyakarta, in spite its image as a cultural and 'university' city, is the second least tolerant.

If we love our country, we should also appreciate Pancasila state ideology as guidance on how to manage this archipelago.

As a nation, we should respect all citizens regardless of background, ethnicity, race and religion.

Therefore, the government should think more seriously and dare to take tough action against people who are not tolerant toward other groups in society.

Bambang Utomo
Jakarta

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