Heroes to Suspects, and plain Psychos?

What's dominating the newspaper lately, or at least what catches my eyes? Yin's rescue and today the shootings in Virginia Tech. My BIL went there I think, so I guess that's why I have a better connection as compared to when the shooting took place in Columbine.

Those who don't know about Yin...he's this 5 yr old kid who went missing when his family was shopping in Sogo at the end of last month. So, last Sunday a Myanmar Rohingya couple handed him over to the police saying that they didn't know that there was only the largest manhunt/search & rescue happening because they have no TV, etc. The IGP was at hand to receive the child, and lauded the couple for taking care of the child, and said the case was closed! Huge PR opportunity!

The next day? The couple is remanded for suspecting of kidnapping. Sekarang banyak la cerita that they abducted the child and forced him into begging with the couple's other children. Today Yin's father made a statement that he still harbors no ill-feeling towards the couple, and didn't instigate the investigation (he actually made a public comment earlier that he will forgive whoever took his kid and will not press charges if Yin was returned safely). So, today he says he still forgives the couple, but now it is up to the police...it's in their hands. Whatever ok...to me it's like now "I have a little caveat at the end of my forgiveness", and whatever happens to the couple he will still look like the good person who is all forgiving.

The question I would ask is how did the kid in the first place walked out of Sogo on his own...the earlier story was that the dad was trying clothes and Yin was waiting outside. It seems that Yin disappearing is nothing new because he has a tendency to do that, his grandparents lost him before. So you know your kid loves to wander off...so you would actually leave him on his own? I tried so hard to not to pass judgement in the earlier days because I empathised with the parents, but to me as a Mom, I just had that nagging feeling that something was not right, and wanted to yell "what the fuck were you thinking?!" But after seeing what's happened now that the child has been found...subtly the dad (he's the only one pictured in the media) implying how irresponsible the Myanmar couple was for not returning the kid earlier and to let him stay in such a dilapidated and unhygienic environment. Who is the irresponsible one really?

What about the couple? You see their home...kesian giler ok! Some people may not be aware of the Rohingyas...they are here under amnesty because they have been persecuted in their homeland - they have no rights whatsoever. Many have fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc. but their lives are still not easy. Here, they can't really get jobs, their children can't go to school so they live their lives in a state of limbo - not really belonging anywhere. I can't comment much because I really don't know enough, but I am trying to contextualise this couple lives and their environment. So when they found Yin, they take him home to be with them and their 5 other kids! They don't have enough money, yet they would still buy food and clothes for kid. Why? Because now they have an extra hand to go out begging! Really? Seriously?!

What the couple did was not right, but perhaps they saw it as an opportunity - either for a reward or that extra hand la, but whatever the reason may be, it is possible they were just hoping for something to improve their lives. It is possible that they really did care of Yin (neighbors did say they always see Yin playing happily with the other kids especially the youngest girl - may be to some level she reminds him of his own younger sibling), and the fact that they may have used Yin for begging is because that's how they live their life! The children can't go to school, and to make ends meet they needed to resort to begging. It's not malicious, but it's their way of life. Yin seemed to not care at all about what was happening...he's just a happy kid (wic I also wonder if he doesn't have any sort of developmental problems - the dad mentioned that he is a slow learner..whatever that means, but that's a whole other issue.) What people do sometimes is a by product of their environment...their values are shaped by their environment. This couple came here as immigrants with very little chance of making a better life for themselves. They know nothing better...this is their reality.

But I am not going to get into a psychological debate, and all about the nature vs. nurture...I am just thinking out loud. Trying to make sense of what I am reading. I feel bad for the Rohingya couple. Imagine if they really didn't do anything wrong, their lives are just going from bad to worse because on top of tyring to make ends meet, they will now have people judging them (even if they are exonerated). And Yin...goes back to his parents, and the public will remember them as the unfortunate couple who finally got their child back - it's a happy ending. We like happy endings because it gives us hope, as opposed to thinking about what'll happen to the Rohingya couple. Let's just hope Yin doesn't wander off anymore after this, InsyaAllah.

And today...you read about another senseless killings in the US. The suspect is supposed to be a South Korean student who has issues with rich kids. Again, you need to think what was happening around him to make him feel/think that way...what drove him to the edge? It could also be that he's plain psycho, but really when you read about these people there is always some torment and breaking point that happened in their early days. So, we'll probably learn more about this from Discovery Channel or some movie...you so know Hollywood will somehow take this to the movies. I wonder how they would depict the Asian kid, because Asians are not known to be Psychos or serial killers...it's usually Caucasian male. So, we'll see how their analysis and portrayal will be like.

Sigh...anyway life goes on, and the wonderful thing about being human is that we'll soon forget how we felt at this point in time. Time will heal...and we move on to next news-worthy topic.

Pictures from news.bbc.co.uk. / A write-up on the plight of Rohingya.