Salam!
Setelah membaca komentar rekan-rekan dan tenggat waktu perbaikan sudah
berlalu-- saya telah mengirimkan "letter to the editor" ke NYT. Seperti saya
sebut pekan lalu, surat itu dikirim via e-mail.
Jika pun ada alamat di bawah nama-nama kita, itu sekadar memenuhi persyaratan
formal surat-menyurat di media massa-- termasuk NYT.
Dimuat atau tidak, itu urusan belakangan. Yang pasti-- sebagaimana kata bung
Panut ''sebagai salah satu bentuk tanggung-jawab kita yang di perantauan"--
kita telah berbuat.
Selanjutnya apa?
Saya teramat ingin apa yang sudah rekan-rekan lakukan ini bisa menjadi
preseden yang baik bagi milis Permias Listserve@. Kita harapkan tradisi ini
bisa terus berkembang. Bukankah "suara dari sumber tidak resmi" tidak
selamanya jelek? Tidak harus dicibir subeversif-- layaknya istilah yang getol
dipakai rezim Orba?
Tanpa berpretensi "menyaingi KBRI-Deplu" atau "membantu" atau apalah
istilahnya-- kita mencoba menghadirkan opini bersama kita ke dunia luar:
Amerika Serikat dalam hal ini.
Dalam memberikan opini bersama-- semoga ditradisikan-- kita berupaya agar
mampu mengatasi gap-gap atau primordialisme yang menjepit kita. Bahwa kita
berbeda etnis dan agama, itu adalah realitas yang tak perlu ditutup-tutupi.
Tetapi bahwa kita mempunyai ide senafas dan dipayungi nasionalisme Indonesia--
ini jangan dihambat. Memang semua memerlukan political will. Dan political
will itu sendiri mensyaratkan keberanian. Dan menurut saya, elemen ini cukup
kuat kita miliki di milis permias-listserve@. Apa lagi? Ayo maju, bung!!!
salam!
ramadhan pohan
###############
Subj: Ambon Tragedy
Date: 2/2/99 3:11:46 PM !!!First Boot!!!
From: MADHANp
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To the Editor:
The article entitles "40 Christian Killed in Revenge Riot in an
Indonesian Village" published by The New York Time Tuesday, January
26, 1999 presented some truth regarding Ambon Tragedy but certainly
not the whole thruth. The title of the article itself shows the
imbalance of the facts that were to be presented. This could be the
result of the interview that involved
only the Christian people. Reading the article one would get the
impression that the Christian villagers of Ambon were the sole victim
of the tragedy and that the tragedy was inflicted by revenging
Muslims. The facts were that both the Christian and the Muslims were
in some kind of war. They attacked and killed each other and a lot of
people from both sides were dead. In some cases, Muslim's villages
got obliterated too. We belief that this is not simply religious
conflict but it could have been the game played by elite politicians
in Jakarta. This is a very set situation and we hope that the
Indonesian authority could quickly uncover the cause of the tragedy.
We also hope that in reporting a conflict, your journalists
interview both parties so that both side of the stories are balancely
presented. One sided report of a conflict may result in worsening the
conflict itself, or even creating a new conflict. This may not be true
in advanced countries, but it is the case in Indonesia where riots
could be easily incited by rumors.
This letter is intended to clarify that Ambon Tragedy is not a
case where the Christian minority is treated unjustly by the Muslim
majority. We hope that this letter disolves the bad image about
Muslim majority in Indonesia that the article indirectly portraits.
Indonesia Student Association Mailing List:
Panut Wirata, Ramadhan Pohan, Dodo Dolitle, Blucer Rajaguguk,
Ichwan Ramli, Andrew Pattiwael, B Ridwan, Budi Haryanto and Indra Adrisudiro
2122 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. # 133
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 822 8841
FAX:(202) 822 9323
