From: li@subway.enet.dec.com (Tong-Kang Li)
Subject: Re: Indonesian, Chinese and Raja
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 20:05:38 GMT


In article <1k6gmkINNglo@pollux.usc.edu>, mcyang@pollux.usc.edu (Bien-Chao Iunn) writes...
>
>I would like to apologize if I didn't make it clear.   The person I met in
>USC did know very well that I consider him ethnical Chinese.  I never
>deny him as Chinese Indonesian.   The way that he tried to dissociate
>himself with the place he was born and raised prompt me to give out the
>suggestion that he should indentify himself with Idonesian.  Apparently,
>this suggestion insulted him.

Was he still a citizen of Indonesia? If not, then he has no obligation to be 
related to Indonesian. If he still is, you should find out what caused such
feeling. If just feel the shame then he is shamed with himself.

But what that has anything to do with "Raja"? "Raja" never denied his another 
identity but only said he is a Chinese. Anything wrong with that? Also no one 
can be sure "Raja" is from Indonesia, can you? If you want to write something 
about your experience you should write a separate article but not a follow-up 
from "Raja's". They are NOT related to each other AT ALL.

>If the above statement of Mr. Tom Li is to imply that my mentioning of
>the incident is to stur up the racial tension between Indonesian, then
>Mr. George Holliday who video-taped the infamous Rodney King beating
>should be blamed for the LA riot.  After all, those racist policemen
>are just a very small minority inside LAPD.  Mr. Holliday shouldn't have 
>taped the incident and given the tape to the TV station which sturs up 
>the racial tension.

If anyone denies his/her identity you call that "wrongdoing"? Against the law?
How can you compare this with Rodney King case? You can disagree with him but 
certainly that is not a "wrongdoing" or crime. There are some Taiwanese 
denying their Chinese identity do you call them "wrongdoing"?

>According to Mr. Tom Li's logic, those who report the wrongdoing should
>be blamed, not those who committed it.

No, report the wrongdoing should not be blamed but those who committed it.

>The reason of my cross-posting to alt.culture.indonesia is simply.  It
>is related to the people of Indonesia.

But you know there is tension between oversea Chinese and the native people.
What you have posted can lift the old wounds. And you are not only post it 
on alt.culture.indonesia but also on soc.culture.taiwan. It is likely to 
create argument between Taiwanese and Indonesian particularly on this touchy
issue. Just based on your single experience to put most of Chinese Indonesians
into a difficult position? That is why I urge the readers read and respond 
carefully and dont hurt Indonesians' feelings.

>If you were born in Indonesia, you ARE native Indonesian.  You should
>identify yourself with the land and contribute yourself.  If there is
>any injustice, including racial ones, organize yourself to fight against
>them.

No, if a foreigner is born in Taiwan will he/she become a native Taiwanese?
To become a Chinese/Taiwanese, he/she has to become a ROC citizen first. Even 
a foreigner living in Taiwan for a couple of decades one doesnt have to 
identify oneself with Taiwan and can still be the guest of Taiwan. 

Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan