Here’s a tip for anyone who likes to rage on social media about things they don’t fully comprehend: don’t.
That also applies to regular subscribers of conspiracy theories. One common conspiracy theory in Indonesia at the moment is that the Chinese are taking over the country, with hoaxes including the “millions” of Chinese citizens migrating to Indonesia to steal jobs, the Chinese government planting chili seeds contaminated with bacteria as a form of biological terrorism, and the supposed resemblance between Indonesia’s new rupiah bills and China’s yuan all being widely shared on social media. There have been government attempts to debunk such claims, but they usually fall on deaf ears.
Recently, a sinophobic Facebook post went viral in Indonesia, showing that there is clearly a link between ignorance and hatred.
The post reads: As I was checking in at Malaysia’s KLIA2 airport, I looked at the screen… and it read “INDOCHINA”… I waited for INDONESIA to show up but it never did… So where is this INDOCHINA country located? THINK and WAKE UP my INDONESIAN brothers.
You might find it hilarious that somebody could get upset over that, but worryingly (or, should we say, inevitably) many were triggered by the post.
Indochina ????? Negara mana itu…Apakah ini bertanda akan terjadinya revolusi?.
— boeng boengloon (@rajabunglon) February 23, 2017
Indochina???? What country is that? Is this the sign of a revolution?
https://twitter.com/tetaptenang__/status/834645067897856001
Jokowi is just a puppet, Ahok is the main target for president, Indonesia turns into Indochina; not a lie.
Of course, not all the commenters were ignorant as to what Indochina actually refers to (aka people who passed elementary school geography). But the issue became viral and so hotly debated that AirAsia, the airline in the middle of this “controversy”, had to give this short history and geography lesson on Twitter.
Indochina adalah sebuah nama ciptaan orang Eropa di abad 19 untuk sebuah area di Asia Tenggara yang budayanya dipengaruhi oleh India & Cina pic.twitter.com/tJsIToKbZR
— AirAsia Indonesia (@airasia_indo) February 23, 2017
Indochina is a name assigned by Europeans in the 19th century to describe an area in Southeast Asia that have been touched by Indian and Chinese cultures.
Pernah juga dijajah Perancis. Wilayah Indochina kini adalah negara Vietnam, Laos, Kamboja pic.twitter.com/N7IXd9bXio
— AirAsia Indonesia (@airasia_indo) February 23, 2017
[This area] was also once invaded by France. Indochina now encompasses Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.
As to the OP’s claim that there was no baggage drop for passengers flying to Indonesia at KLIA2, Air Asia tweeted this response.
Letakkan bagasimu di konter U, yang khusus untuk destinasi menuju Indonesia untuk terbang pulang dari Bandara klia2 di Kuala Lumpur pic.twitter.com/yiOlBDulB4
— AirAsia Indonesia (@airasia_indo) February 23, 2017
Drop your baggage at counter U, which is specially designated for destinations in Indonesia at KLIA2 Kuala Lumpur.
Ouch.
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