From: "rudy darwin"
Subject: We never choose to be born as Chinese in Indonesia...
Date: Tue, 02 Feb 1999 23:20:27
To: petertee@paclink.net
I am one of the Indonesian Chinese that escaped from Indonesia. I am not from Jakarta, but Bagansiapiapi, a small fishing village in Riau Province. I am so concerned with what happened in my country. My village also had got a riot in 15 September 1998. Now I am studying in Malacca, Malaysia. Malacca is the cheapest place for quality education as I am
not from a rich family. I just learned how to use internet from my friend and all the websites that I opened always about the Chinese especially the process in my country. I want to go back this Chinese New Year, but my parents don't allow me because there is an issue that my place will happen a riot again. As some of the Chinese wanted to buy clothes for the Chinese New Year, but the seller (native Indonesian) said that they don't need to buy clothes again because this Chinese New Year , all the Chinese houses will be burnt again in my place. I don't know what can I do. Sometimes, the issue is not true but sometimes it really happened. Today, I just read your activity in United Nations. I am not going to ask you to speak out in United Nations, because what the United Nations did, make me very very disappointed.
They care about the Albanian ethnic in Serbia. But how about the Chinese? We didn't ask for independence or what that is so big. We only want to have a peaceful place to live. We never choose to be born as Chinese in Indonesia, but today I am happy I am a Chinese but It's a shame that I am an Indonesian.
I want to thank you for all what you have done for us.
