Metro TV Xin Wen
Sep 11th, 2007, in Opinion, by RossRoss on Metro TV’s Chinese-language news service, Xin Wen.
The Metro TV Chinese-language news reported on the APEC conference in Sydney on its morning news. What did Metro show the Indonesian viewers? None other than the President of Red China making his speech. But Indonesia’s own President, SBY, attended that gathering.
Jakarta’s Metro TV is quite a young channel, which has English-language news, broadcast on Friday evening, repeated on Saturday morning and again on Sunday evening, so it has a lot of foreign viewers. It is owned by a leading Golkar Party magnate, who by odd coincidence is often featured on its news, but that is not a big deal. What I’d like to look at today is its Chinese-language news service.
The Chinese minority here in Indonesia is disproportionately prosperous (probably due to their work ethic) although many of them are just as poor as pribumi (native) Indonesians, many of whom nevertheless harbour prejudices against them. They (the Chinese) have had a hard time in the past, most recently in 1998, when looting, rape and murder were the lot of many in the riots.
Many of them also made a big mistake in the Fifties and Sixties by lining up with the nasty PKI, Communist Party of Indonesia, though when Suharto squashed that threat, he himself chose to make friends with numerous Chinese tycoons. Many good Chinese, of course, were supportive of the nationalist Kuo Min Tang until the red-tilting Sukarno suppressed the anti-Communist Chinese community back in the early 1960s.
That’s all just history now, of course, and the official line is that everybody’s welcome, and Chinese festivals, like their New Year, are given full approval for public celebrations. Equally, the Mandarin language is no longer forbidden. And Metro thus has a special news in Chinese just after the English news in the morning, called Metro Xin Wen, which is described as:
Program berita setengah jam yang disajikan dalam bahasa Mandarin dan lengkap dengan informasi yang berhubungan dengan masyarakat Tionghoa, seperti berita bisnis, ekonomi, sosial dan budaya. (News in Mandarin with information of interest to Chinese Indonesians, like business, economy, social and cultural affairs.)
Tayang setiap hari pada pukul: 07.05-07.30 WIB. (Every day from 7.05am to 7.30am.)
Although most of us can’t follow it, we can identify the news items included, and that is a revealing activity.
While Metro TV’s English news comprises mostly things that are happening here, and major world events, in other words the same more or less as the content of the main Indonesian news programmes, plus a few touristy things or an expat who’s taken up Javanese musical instruments, the Chinese news seems to go out of its way to emphasise that these Indonesian citizens have more in common with foreign countries where Chinese is the mother tongue. Much of it focuses on happenings in Red China, some in Taiwan and some in Singapore. Why does Metro do this? If it regards Chinese-speaking Indonesians as 100% Indonesian, it should surely be presenting them with news of their own country in their minority language? But no, it doesn’t, not fully.
This sort of presentation encourages pribumi to think of their fellow-citizens as foreign-orientated, and may encourage some of the minority to do the same.
I don’t actually believe this is a deliberate policy on Metro’s part, but I do think it betrays a mind-set whereby the Chinese-speakers are still regarded as resident aliens. Western expats are almost all just that, no matter how long they live here. They work and play but have no real rights, nor do they expect any. Chinese-speaking Indonesians, one hopes, are much more than that. They are full citizens, not foreign overspill floating in the multitudinous archipelago. Metro News should act accordingly. Give them their own country’s news, at least as much local content as English-speakers get.
Has anyone else thought about this?
Incidentally, I’m commenting on Indonesia but am not blind to my own country’s short-comings, for the same criticism can be levelled at western media which broadcast programmes in Asian languages for immigrants and their offspring in Britain, thus obstructing the assimilation process which is the duty of all immigrants, (being able to enjoy TV is a splendid incentive to learn English quickly, just as I can now laugh at Tukul and Republik Mimpi) and Spanish-language programmes in the USA, where the Hispanic minority has shown a singular reluctance to adapt to their chosen homeland by learning its language.
Nor am I criticizing programmes designed to teach immigrants their new language – that’s imperative! And if some want to have programmes to keep their own culture in order, eventually, to go home, residing in the US or UK as mere guest-workers, for example the Cubans who hope to return to a Free Cuba when that old swine Castro kicks the bucket, then that’s all very well. (I know many Cubans are now American citizens, but many others still have hopes of liberating their homeland and good luck and Godspeed to those patriots!)
But some Hispanics, in the USA at least, are actually demanding bilingualism as official policy. In Britain, and Canada, vast sums are wasted on official forms in a variety of languages because so many have not taken the trouble to do what they should have done before contemplating migration. That is surely unacceptable. Even guest-workers like me make it a first priority in Indonesia to learn as much Bahasa Indonesia as possible, and we have no aspirations to become citizens. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
63 Comments on “Metro TV Xin Wen”
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Raden says:
What this news pointing to? Unclear & I don’t see any problem with chinese news, spanish news, english news, arab news, etc.
I don’t speak arab, but does it means it prohibit you who understand arab to stay tune in the ‘Al Jazirah’ TV channel from Afghan? You can subscribe it too via TV satelite but it is not free though, so what is the problem? -
Peter says:
Ross, you said some things which I find highly dubious and objectionable.
in the USA, where the Hispanic minority has shown a singular reluctance to adapt to their chosen homeland by learning its language.
Whether or not Hispanic immigrants are making a complete effort to learn English is hardly a matter to be questioned. One must only examine the socio-economic demography of these immigrants. Unlike most of the immigrants coming to the US from say, Europe, China, India, or elsewhere, the Hispanics coming from Central and South America are mostly poor, coming from near the bottom of their society’s economic rung. Their literacy in Spanish and education are often rather poor to begin with. If, for instance you compared immigrants from Spain with immigrants from Central/South America, I am sure that you would find a much greater degree of assimilation and acculturation (i.e. English fluency) taking place among the European Hispanics. People desperately crossing into the US for temporary, minimum quality jobs are not going to be integrated into American society very well. Many of them are working several jobs and supporting their families back in their home countries, and frankly, do not have the luxury of spending the time needed to become fluent in English. There is also a high degree of marginalization and xenophobia that these immigrants are facing. People with attitudes such as yours are not making matters any better in that respect.
Much of it focuses on happenings in Red China, some in Taiwan and some in Singapore. Why does Metro do this? If it regards Chinese-speaking Indonesians as 100% Indonesian, it should surely be presenting them with news of their own country in their minority language?
Hmm, if there was an Indonesian language TV show here in the US, made for Indonesian speaking Americans, would anyone be surprised if most of the news was about, oh I don’t know.. INDONESIA? What kind of a ridiculous question are you asking, Ross? Chinese Indonesians have a clear and obvious interest in the affairs of China – their country of origin, which many of them probably still have ties to – family and otherwise.
“Red China”, as you put it, seems to be an inspiration to you. You perhaps would do as China’s Communist Party does and have the Indonesian government censor all the country’s TV stations. This way internal cohesion could be preserved, and those untrustworthy Chinese won’t get any big ideas from their land of ancestry.
Ross, posts like this only contribute to more distrust towards Chinese Indonesians. And who do you think you are to question their right and motivation to watch whatever news they want to watch? I thought Indonesia was supposed to be a democracy, bukan?
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Daniel Khaleel says:
Good job Peter. I couldn’t have said it better. You get 1+ karma 🙂
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Sylvester says:
Good point Peter.
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Sputjam says:
After the second world war, there were calls by certain chinese communities in the then Malaya (including singapore) that was administered by the british to concede the territory to China as they have superiority in terms of numbers (population) compared to the native malays.
The chinese immigrants still considers themselves subjects of China, and when China became communist, so did many chinese in Malaya. The emergency was declared after european estate owners were slaughtered by the commies and fought by soldiers from Britain, Australia/NZ/Gurkhas and the Royal Malay regiments.
The fight against the communist ended only recently in the nineties, after china itself decided to become capitalist in “spirit”.That was why in the 50th anniversary of merdeka in Malaysia, those foreigners who took part in the battle against communist, WWII and soekarno’s invasion were invited to participate in the march past.
The leaders and remaining followers of the CPM is still languishing in southern Thailand, waiting for a suit in court that he be allowed to return home in Malaysia while previously serving the communist in china.
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Pakmantri says:
for example the Cubans who hope to return to a Free Cuba when that old swine Castro kicks the bucket, then that’s all very well. (I know many Cubans are now American citizens, but many others still have hopes of liberating their homeland and good luck and Godspeed to those patriots!)
Wow, I did not know that Cuba is not a free country? That’s news to me and who is invading Cuba? I believe Castro is just an old man trying to govern his beloved country as best as he can considering the embargo that has been placed on Cuba for how many years? The hardship in Cuba is not because of Castro, it is because of the embargo. And the Cuban who fled the country is not because they were oppressed, they were the riches, landlords and thugs who use to be the collaborators who cannot handle the hardship in Cuba because they used to be the oppressor of the people.
Just like the GAM elite who never land or work in Aceh. -
Hassan says:
Ross was just demonstrating his US = good and Cuba = bad mentality. 😉
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Ross says:
Of course I’m not saying the regime should censor Metro. I was questioning their judgement. They may produce what they like and viewers can watch it all, but shouldn’t they reflect that Chinese-ethnic-Indonesians are first and foremost Indonesians.
If they want to have progrmmes on Chinese (Red China or Free China) culture, okay, but the news is Indonesian. We bules get it on our news on Metro but the Chinese version is quite different. My motive in posting was to emphasise Chinese integration, which is a good thing. I am certainly not anti-Chinese and know many good folk in that community, who are patriotic Indonesians.
Similarly, many Hispanic migrants in the USA are proud Americans, unlike the undesirable illegals who marched through major US cities not long ago audaciously carrying foreign flags while demanding US rights.
I believe that if some Hispanics, or any other immigrants in Anglo-Saxon countries, won’t learn English, they should move home or move on to where they find a more congenial culture.
As to the red brigade, who think Cuba is free, please explain the absence of free elections, the suppression of free trade unions, the eradication of opposition media and Castro’s two-tier health service, one for Michael Moore and the C.P. elite, the rest, crumbling and pitiful, for the people. -
Let’s liberate Cuba then, I am sure we can make up some story about WMD and for the terrorist part I know for sure there are about 100 or so Taliban and Al-queda personnel in Cuba; they are in Guantanamo bay! 🙂
But wait, cancel that thought. Remember the result of liberating a country from an evil doer, Iraq!!
Leave Cuba alone, they’ll become capitalist eventually just like China and Russia.
Beside I have never live in Cuba among the general population, therefore, I cannot tell what the real Cuban feels, have you?Peter, we love you brother!
Peace.
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Paul says:
I agree with Peter. Such a comment that Ross made is really the kind of thing that triggers national disharmony between Chinese and pribumi. I don’t really see the points that you tried to raise in your article.
Also, I think that the majority of Indonesian news consumers do not really care about regional politics at all in the first place. Raising such ambiguous issue will only alert certain groups that think using their knees only.
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Chris says:
I generally agree with Ross that many people in Indonesia view other Indonesians according to their ethnicity rather than their citizenship, especially (but not only) Chinese-Indonesians.
As to why that’s happening, earlier IM articles like this one:
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1135/islam-and-chinese/
explains it better than I can. -
Julita says:
Ross:
My motive in posting was to emphasise Chinese integration, which is a good thing. I am certainly not anti-Chinese and know many good folk in that community, who are patriotic Indonesians.
Great Ross, do you suggest also to stop the Chinese language education in their curriculum? Other countries have language program in all languages, no problem why are you starting this in Indonesia? I heard they celebrate the Chinese New Year, Chinese signs for businesses? (not sure) etc. etc., they are more open hearted and you don’t like their tolerant attitude. I am really lost, you are a guest-worker will be leaving in one or two years, leave Indonesia to the Indonesian people living in Indonesia.
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Ross said:
but shouldn’t they reflect that Chinese-ethnic-Indonesians are first and foremost Indonesians.
They should reflect first and foremost the interests of their Chinese-speaking viewers, Ross.
Your comments suggest that you support the indoctrinization of a nationalistic ideology by using TV as a form of propoganda – in this case to put Chinese in their place and dictate to them that they are Indonesian more than they are Chinese. This attitude spits in the face of the diversity and pluralism which are Indonesia’s defining features and greatest assets.
You are implying that to be Indonesian and to maintain one’s Chinese identity are mutually exclusive. This is surprising, since you apparently are an American like myself. You should know good and well that in a diverse, pluralistic democracy (such as our country), people are free to maintain any international or cultural associations that they wish. And yes Ross, that includes the Hispanic Americans who proudly wave the flags of their homelands on our streets (or perhaps you assume that all Hispanics that are vocally proud of their mother countries are “undesirable illegals”).
One can love their foreign homeland and still be just as American as you or I, Ross. And the Chinese can love their ancestral and cultural homeland and be just as Indonesian as anyone else.
Patung, I love your site, but this post was really a lapse in quality control. At least some of you from Indonesia can get a glimpse of the subtle bigotry that America still struggles to shake off.
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Pena Budaya says:
He-eh…
I don’t mind if there are plenty of television programs in Indonesia in many foreign languages. It could turn to a positive point to learn other language besides bahasa. I realised that my generation was lacking such opportunities to learn different languages rather than English compare today’s generation in Indonesia.
However, I can also see the point that Ross tried to make here. Hey, if Metro TV can make programme in Chinese, why not making National TV programme in local languages as well, like Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese or Bataknese? Or, should we be afraid that will endorse separatism movement? Oops.
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TVRI used to have local language content for every provincial station, I believe they still have it.
It is encouraged for Indonesian to maintain their mother tongue and culture, it is part of being an Indonesian.
It is what “Bhineka Tunggal Ika” mean, unity in diversity. -
Julita, I am not starting anything, merely observing that Chinese-ethnics have long had a hard time here and in my -admittedly arguable -view, Metro paints them as outsiders by its use of foreign news only related to CHina etc.
Chinese language news programmes should be about Indonesian and world news, like ours and that in Bahasa Indoensia.
So Peter implies that my post represents ‘American bigotry.’ I am of course not American, but I take an interest in all kinds of issues and comment. Some readers’ comments show incredible bigotry, arguing ‘quality control’ to exclude folks they don’t agree with.
As for what real Cubans think, we can’t be too sure, because Castro carefully bans them from enjoying free expression, let alone voting rights.
Read TheReal Cuba website for some insights into Castro’s despotism, including the way ordinary Cubans suffer second-class health treatment, a far cry from the super service foreign collaborators like Moore get. Or read Armando Valladares’s book. Valladares was arrested on 28 December 1960 and accused of plotting against Castro. He was dragged before a military tribunal that presented no witnesses or evidence against him. It summarily sentenced him to 30 years imprisonment. He spent 22 years in Castro’s Gulag, being released in 1982. In 1986 he published the harrowing Against All Hope: The Prison Memoirs of Armando Valladares in which he related the horrors he had endured and witnessed. The following are the book’s two final paragraphs:
‘I remember Estebita and Piris dying in blackout cells, the victims of biological experimentation; Diosdado Aquit, Chino Tan, Eddy Molina, and so many others murdered in the forced-labor fields, quarries, and camps. A legion of specters, naked, crippled, hobbling and crawling through my mind, and the hundreds of men wounded and mutilated in the horrifying searches . . . Eduardo Capote’s fingers chopped off by a machete. Concentration camps, tortures, women beaten, soldiers pushing prisoners’ heads into a lake of sh*t, the beatings of Eloy and Izaguirre. MartÃÂn Pérez with his testicles destroyed by bullets. Robertico weeping for his mother. And in the midst of that apocalyptic vision of the most dreadful and horrifying moments of my life, in the midst of the gray, ashy dust and the orgy of beatings and blood, prisoners beaten to the ground, a man emerged, the skeletal figure of a man wasted by hunger, with white hair, blazing blue eyes, and a heart overflowing with love, raising his arms to the invisible heaven and pleading for mercy for his executioners. “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do”. And a burst of machine-gun fire ripping open his breast.’
Go for it, Peter, tell us Valladares is an American bigot too!
That’s the sort of free country Cuba is, a Communist hell-hole. And their doctors?In April 2005 Agence France-Presse reported that Federal judge Marcelo Bernal ruled in favor of a demand by the Brazilian state of Tocantins’ Consejo Regional de Medicina (Regional Council on Medicine) that Cuban doctors be prohibited from practicing in their state. Based on the results they’d achieved with Tocantins’ residents, the judge referred to the Cuban doctors as Witch Doctors and Shamans [emphasis added]. We cannot accept doctors who have not proven that they are doctors.
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HeavenlySword says:
Ross’ comment is valid. However I think one should think about himself first. Kepentingan Negara and other mumbo jumbo can come second or third.
Younger generation should be motivated and encouraged to be fluent in as many language as possible. Globalization is here and is not coming anymore. Younger generation should be prepared well enough for this. Afterall this is for their own future as well. The idea of nationalism isn’t wrong, but what does it give us except shallow pride?
What Metro did was great and other TV stations need to follow their example. I’m not talking about Mandarin only. This applies to languages that are commonly used internationally.
Those who live in Indonesia has been ‘forced to drink’ Bahasa everyday. It’s more than enough dose in a day. It’s time to encourage people to learn new language other than Bahasa. At the end it’s Indonesia who will be benefiting from having his citizen multi-linguistic.
You may give me minuses for this comment. I’m just talking the fact, that the more language you master, the bigger the chances you’d have to improve your own future.
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
My fellow Muslim Indonesians,
If one could read the depth of this message, Ross was trying to caution us on the Asian Jews’ conspiracy. The Red army is part of worldwide crusaders trying to usurp us stealthily, and what better way to do it through medias which we don’t understand.
Jihad on standby.
Peace.
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@Aluang,
What does Mandarin has to do with Asian Jews conspiracy?There are quite a few number of Moslem in Indonesia, who understand and speak Mandarin fluently, and that includes TKI who works in China/HK/Taiwan.
Metro would be very stupid to do a conspiracy through Mandarin or any other language.
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Why can’t we be open minded. Why should we keep this negative thoughts all the time? That does nothing at all.
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Jihad?
What does Jihad anything to do with broadcasting Mandarin.. with anything?Broadcasting multilanguage,.. Jihad.
SBY was positioned on the second row during APEC.. Jihad.
Batak churches got attack.. Jihad.
Your favorite soccer team lost.. Jihad.
Your wife cook a bad food.. Jihad.
Stuck in the traffic.. Jihad
Left the car key inside your car.. Jihad
Seeing a jew from a distant (although it was rhoma irama under the brightest sunlight).. Jihad
I wrote this and you are against it.. Jihad.You make fun of yourself at the end.
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Enigmatic says:
Aluang Anak Bayang Says: –2
September 13th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
My fellow Muslim Indonesians,If one could read the depth of this message, Ross was trying to caution us on the Asian Jews’ conspiracy. The Red army is part of worldwide crusaders trying to usurp us stealthily, and what better way to do it through medias which we don’t understand.
Jihad on standby.
Peace.
You want to incite Jihad in Indonesia? Try it. Really. Try it.
You should be lucky you are not here in Singapore. The internal security act personnel will arrest you and detain you indefinitely for doing that.
Detachment 88, are you listening?
PEACE
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Ross said:
Chinese language news programmes should be about Indonesian and world news, like ours and that in Bahasa Indoensia.
Ross, who are you (or I) to decide what the Chinese in Indonesia should watch? This is the essence of my argument against your position. You can have any opinion you want, but suggesting that what the Chinese should watch should be dictated to them from above is entirely antithetical to the spirit of democracy and pluralism. It is this same logic that inspires the Islamist groups who try to force Indonesians to submit to their view of how everything should be.
Maybe your feelings are hurt, Ross, because some Chinese in Indonesia maintain an interest in the affairs of China. And maybe, even, they should be more concerned with the affairs of Indonesia. You will just have to get over it, because the Chinese can watch whatever d@mned news they want to, and who are we to stick our noses up at them for doing so? The attitude that people should be forced to conform to our ideal of how they should live, what they should watch, how they should pray, and so on is backwards and the reason for so much pain and strife in Indonesia. Please spare the Indonesian people your misguided opinions based on this destructive and bellicose attitude. They live in a very fragile democracy already. Terima kasih.
Metro paints them as outsiders by its use of foreign news only related to CHina etc.
Ross, Metro TV does not “paint” the Chinese Indonesians as anything. Metro TV provides them with the service that they have shown interest in – broadcasts of news about China, among other things. You, Ross, have painted them as outsiders by assuming that watching news about China somehow conflicts with their national identity as Indonesians.
Peter implies that my post represents ‘American bigotry.’ I am of course not American, but I take an interest in all kinds of issues and comment. Some readers’ comments show incredible bigotry, arguing ‘quality control’ to exclude folks they don’t agree with.
Ross, your post is of substandard quality, at least in comparison with the status quo for this website. Excuse my kasar speech when I say that:
I look forward to reading about the everyday goings on of Indonesia and how they are interpreted by Indonesians when I come to this site – NOT an editorialized ‘Fox News-esque’ account such as this, written by some ex-pat who uses the opportunity to insidiously push his anti-Cuban and anti-immigrant propaganda!
_____________________
Also,
“Jihad on standby”. What a great phrase. I will have to use that sometime. Perhaps you might one day measure up to the (in)famous Achmad Sudarsono.
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Peter wants to see only Indonesian posts, so what is he doing posting – is that a privilege only for bule bolshies?
It is not my brief to dictate what people like to watch. Who the heck knows? What I was pondering was why Metro gives Chinese-ethnic viewers a different version of the news. An earthquake, a war, a demo, we English-language viewers and those who watch the Bahasa Indonesia news will get much the same. Yet Metro’s news producers – not the viewers – decided to give the Chinese news a different spin/content. A mindset or deliberate – I think just a mindset, on the Metro people’s part, but then I wanted others’ views.
Thanks for your subjective opinion on my posting quality, Peter, and for your significant silence on dictatorship. Of course I’m not anti-Cuban, a description that better suits the Havana regime, given its maltreatment of most Cubans. Nor am I anti-immigrant. I am opposed to immigration except in carefully controlled amounts, and I am anti-illegal immigrant, for they break the law even as they set foot on their chosen victims’ land. If you are proud to be American, you might observe its laws before you start flying foreign flags. -
Oigal says:
“Many of them also made a big mistake in the Fifties and Sixties by lining up with the nasty PKI, Communist Party of Indonesia, though when Suharto squashed that threat”
Does anyone with an ounce of education and free thought actually believe that crock of pus anymore. Belly laughs all round, except for the hundreds of thousands who were slaughtered to satisfy a certain someone’s lust for power of course. Suharto was certainly involved but it wasn’t crushing a communist threat.
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Read TheReal Cuba website for some insights into Castro’s despotism
Seen it, and by the way this site is run in Miami by Cuban who reside in Miami, not so real is it.
Have you see how bad all the western countries is portrayed by Al-Queda’s sites? Do you believe in that too?The Prison Memoirs of Armando Valladares in which he related the horrors he had endured and witnessed.
So? If you are a political prisoner, specially if you are labeled as enemy of the state, does not matter where you are you’ll be treated much worse than the lowest criminal. Nothing new there, it is the risk of being the opposition.
Read the prison memoir of “Sujinah” by Sujinah published by Lontar publication or Nelson Mandela’s you’ll find similar stories.And for Oigal: ………………. ha ha ha ha :-))
By the way, I am an Indonesian born and raised in Indonesia and I believe in “Bhineka Tunggal Ika” and “Pancasila”, but has been labeled as a “red brigade”, but I am not bitter! :-))
peace.
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Well, it would be based outside Cuba, otherwise its people would be in jail or dead, right, Pakmantri? You seem to have little sympathy for victims of communism but at least you have the good grace to shrink from the cred label….as for Oigal, he seems unaware of the immense threat the PKI posed in 1965. A brief history course is prescribed, but alas he won’t use it. There are none so blind.
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Peter wants to see only Indonesian posts, so what is he doing posting – is that a privilege only for bule bolshies?
I don’t want to see only Indonesian posts, Ross. But if I am going to read a story spattered with such dubious opinionated rhetoric as this, I would at least like to have the comfort of knowing that it is an Indonesian’s point of view.
And “bule bolshies”? Please leave the childish name-calling out of this forum, Ross. Let’s all be adults here, silahkan.
Of course I’m not anti-Cuban
You are right, Ross. I should have said ‘anti-Castro’ or ‘anti-Communist’.
Thanks for your subjective opinion on my posting quality, Peter, and for your significant silence on dictatorship
Ross, instead of just complaining about the sub-standard quality of this post, I will give you some advice about posting in the future. An appropriate way to go about posting this story would have been to use a format like this (which Patung uses all the time):
1) Present what happened/is happening.
(i.e. Metro TV’s Chinese news broadcast is focusing primarily on news from China)2) Present the statements or opinions of certain groups, public figures, etc. regarding what happened/is happening. (i.e. “Politician X said “____”, or “Many locals expressed concerns that ____…”)
3) Let us all give our opinions.
Instead, Ross, you have thoroughly interwoven your own (questionable) opinion into the story, and what’s more, you opportunistically used the story as a venue for various other rants about Communism, Castro, and Hispanic Americans. That, precisely, is why your post is of sub-standard quality.
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Ross,
I’ve been labeled as many things (mujahedeen, red-brigade, commies, nazi etc), I don’t give a rat-ass they only labels, my point was if you don’t want to be labeled by other do not put a label on to other.You read but only part that suit you, you listen but only hear what you wanted to hear, and you don’t read between the line, you have one track mind, and you have so much hatred and anger toward a certain group of people. You are ripe and ready to be radicalize, since you are not a Muslim you cannot be a jihadi although they hate commies too you know. Maybe a neo-nazi group or I know join my militiamen friends.
And as for history class, which or whose history? Everybody has their own stories, who to believe?
I am sorry, but I am moving on.
peace.
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Nenek Sihir says:
Good on ya Peter, Oigal and others for taking on this goose also known as Ross, ‘crock of pus’ pretty much sums up many of his postings, the idea the Jak Post and Metro are pro ‘red’ (how very 1950s!) is just laughable, if certain elements of Indonesian society are getting far too left wing for you, well, you know where the airport is! You obviously also understand very little about issues concerning bilingualism and its importance in many communities around the world.
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dewaratugedeanom says:
Couldn’t Metro TV Xin Wen at least for relayed broadcasts make Chinese language spoken programmes with subtitles in Bahasa Indonesia? This way everybody would be happy.
Comment on “Metro TV Xin Wen”.
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This is a very interesting article.
Since I’m not in Indonesia myself, I have not seen much of the ‘Metro TV Chinese-language news’ or any other TV shows in Indonesia for that matter, but I think being an Indonesian channel, news or any content of the TV channels should be well balanced.