From: sepstei1@cc.swarthmore.edu (stephen epstein)
Subject: Re: Berfikir Positif (was Re: Personal views on East Timor)
Organization: swarthmore college
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 17:16:02 GMT

In article <BxzHHp.98x@sun3.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca>,
opurbo@sun1.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (Onno W. Purbo) writes:
> 
> Heran saya membaca tulisan-tulisan dari bangsa yang pernah
> menjajah Indonesia - tepatnya Timor Timur selama lebih 350 tahun.
> Apa mereka tidak merasa berdosa setelah menjajah sedemikian lama?
> Malah melemparkan kesalahan ke pemerintah Indonesia.
> 
Saya salah satu orang yg asing di newsgroup yg mengerti bahasa Indonesia,
dan saya kira saya harus menjawab sedikit di sini.  Lebih baik kalau saya
menulis bahasa Ingerris supaya pikiran-pikiran saya diterangkan dengan
lebih jelas...First of all I consider myself to be extremely fond of
Indonesia-- I am not interested in attacking the people of the country in
any way.  I should also add that as an whose ancestors came from Eastern
europe at the turn of the century I don't think I really belong to the
"bangsa yg pernah menjajah Indonesia", unless you're making a blanket
indictment of all "orang putih."  

Nonetheless, I feel conmpelled to speak up for the people of Timor Timur.
There is a great deal of suppression, oppression, and even torture of
dissidents which is completely censored by the media in Indonesia itself.
Many people on this group seem unwilling to accept this.  I can only direct
you to try and find out as much as possible here from sources which seem to
you to be as objective as possible.  Just this morning on National Public
Radio, which I consider to be the USA's most unimpeachable news source,
there was a story about the imprisonment and torture of a leader of the
resistance in Dili.
 
> Apa betul Indonesia sedemikian jeleknya?

Menurut saya, jauh berbeda sekali di antara Indonesia dan pemerintah
Indonesia. This is a critical point, and one that many people have been
unable to understand in this discussion about Timtim.  I do not, by a long
shot, approve of all of the United States' foreign policy, but I still love
my country.  To me it is a highly patriotic act to speak when one's
government is acting wrongly.  When the U.S. acts in objectionable,
neo-imperialistic ways, I do my best to inform myself about it and to
educate those around me.  If one does not speak out or opposition to the
government is suppressed, that is when 
true dangers begin. 

***I should add that I have heard privately (and anonymously) from
Indonesians who are concerned about the situation in Timtim, but are afraid
to speak up for fear of government retaliation.***  Please don't think that
those of us who speak up are out to bash Indonesia.  There may be some
hot-headed Portuguese who are indeed simply expressing a neo-colonialist
mentality, but there are others who merely want to see wrongs righted. I am
writing this now not because I hate Indonesia, but because I love the
country, and I want to see it made better. I have no stake in this other
than a deep-seated desire to see that human beings are treated humanely. 

> Berapa lama mereka pernah tinggal di Indonesia
> sampai dapat mengambil kesimpulan demikian?
> Apa mereka tidak bisa menghargai puluhan ribu / juta
> orang Indonesia yang sedang berjuang membangun Indonesia karena
> mereka cinta tanah airnya?

I do value the Indonesian people and their struggle to develop the nation. 
I also understand fully that Indonesia is an extremely difficult country to
govern and that at this point to allow Timtim independence would create
numerous difficulties with other groups, such as the Acehnese, who might
clamor for greater autonomy.  Nonetheless, you must remember that Timtim
was indeed invaded by the Indonesian armed forces. Most East Timorese do
not want to be part of Indonesia; they had little say in the events of the
mid-70's.  
> 
> Apa bule-bule ini tidak bisa berfikir sedikit positif
> misalnya bagaimana membangun suatu bangsa dari bawah,
> memberikan pendidikan yg layak bagi bangsa dll.
> Tidak perlu banyak bicara pakai konperensi segala macam
> cukup _buktikan_ dengan perbuatan.

This is no different than the idea of the "white man's burden" which
colonialists used last century to justify their actions.
> 
> Selama bule-bule ini cuma bicara, berdebat tanpa
> bukti nyata bahwa mereka bisa memperbaiki suatu bangsa dengan
> perbuatan yang nyata - saya rasa percuma untuk digubris.
> 
> Maaf ini hanya sekedar uneq-uneq melihat bule-bule
> yang banyak bicara mengatasnamakan hak asasi manusia,
> kebebasan berbicara dll - tanpa kerja yang nyata!
> 
> - Onno
> 
Again, I have no desire to attack anyone here.  I only ask that those of
you who are skeptical of what is reported on this group about the problems
of East Timur try as far as possible to educate yourselves about the
situation while you are out of Indonesia and have access to uncensored news
sources.

Hoping to provide a voice of reason,
Stephen
Organization: Doctoral student, Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA