Chinese-Indonesians Long for End to Discrimination

Chinese-Indonesians may experience a more festive lunar new year in 2004, but eliminating long-standing bias against the ethnic group is much more important, activists say.

"All of the celebrations clearly show the euphoria that has resulted from the government's recognition of Chinese-Indonesians' cultural rights. But, the recognition of cultural rights must not be separated from civil rights," human rights activist Frans Hendra Winarta told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Chinese-Indonesians will celebrate Imlek or the Chinese New Year from late Wednesday to early Thursday. Public celebrations were permitted with the issuance of a presidential decree by former president Abdurrahman Wahid in 2000 that revoked Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 on Chinese religion, tradition and beliefs.

Frans said the government must continue to "liberate" Indonesians of Chinese descent from discrimination that finds its roots in the Dutch colonial era.

During Dutch colonial rule that lasted for more than three centuries, the role of Chinese-Indonesians was limited to trade.

"Chinese-Indonesians need to get back their political and civil rights," said Frans, a noted Chinese-Indonesian lawyer.

Ernawati Soegondo, secretary of the Advisory Council of the Society of Chinese-Indonesians, meanwhile, said that Chinese-Indonesians were still being discriminated against.

She particularly pointed to the fact that the government still requires Chinese-Indonesians to produce the Republic of Indonesia Citizenship Certificate (SBKRI) if they want to obtain documents such as ID cards, passports and birth certificates.

Unlike Indonesians of other ethnic groups such as Indians and Arabs, Chinese-Indonesians are required by law to apply for the SKBRI to be officially recognized as Indonesian citizens.

"Chinese-Indonesian students are still required to submit the SBKRI when enrolling at certain universities, particularly state universities," Ernawati said.

She also noted that it was near impossible for Chinese-Indonesians to join the Indonesian Military (TNI) or the National Police.

The government has actually revoked some of the discriminatory regulations since 1996, including the SBKRI. But, around 60 discriminatory laws and decrees of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) are still in place.

No less than three presidents - B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid, and Megawati Soekarnoputri- have issued decrees ordering civil servants to treat all citizens equally regardless of their ethnic group.

However, most government offices do not implement the decrees due to the lack of ancillary regulations on the implementation of those decrees.

"There is no political will on the part of some government officials, therefore, they are reluctant to follow up the government's decisions and continue to discriminate against Chinese-Indonesians," Frans said.

He called on the government and other elements of the society to support efforts to end all forms of discrimination against Chinese-Indonesians.

"We thank the government for recognizing the lunar new year, but the most important thing is to end all discrimination against Chinese-Indonesians," Frans said.

Ernawati concurred, saying that Chinese-Indonesians have been longing for years to be treated like other Indonesian citizens.

Indonesians of Chinese descent account for approximately 3 percent, or around six million, of the country's 215 million people. However, they control over 60 percent of the country's economy.

Following the abortive coup in 1965, which the government blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), the government introduced rules and regulations aimed at curbing the movement of Chinese-Indonesians in the country. The PKI was affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. gusdur.net

the railway station

every afterrnoon near the railwaystation, we can see alot of children there.they play and to see the train .they weren,t worry really a polution.play and eat do together.

there are less places for children to play in the city to make this place into an alternative to the visit

let's take care of their health, because their successor generation indonesia

panorama

panorama

The Queen of the south

The queen of the south.there is beach south part of yogyakarta called Parangtritis beach.many visitor go there when weekend,specially youngpeople.but don,t you imagine if you can swim there cause to dangerous.
there was history about that sea,about the legend of queen of the south.you want to know?somepeople said if under the sea there is kingdom.the leader is queen.she is very beautiful and also has power magic.she never became old cause she is not like us.
so if we swim there,sometimes made her get angry or she want us.don,t you thing if you still life.do you belive it?

RAIN

During this week in the Yogyakarta region, most rain with bigwind (hilt beliung.saveral houses damaged due to this wind.
This happens day and heavy rain, accompanied by gale, thunder sound, and a hot sun.many people worry with this situation cause this is very strange.normally if rain always many cloud,but today is the sun still shining,maybe new natural occurrence.

The MASK

life feels just a feint, not how, we are only enslaved by something that's considered with the naked eye.smoothness that when we have lost because of seemingly small number of factors that affect, or not realize in our teach children to learn that, according to we are good, but not necessarily good for them, we give them a mask that could always change, and sometimes ourchildren use that mask for us.
legislative elections in a crowded again.the politicians- they wear masks, because the original do not appear to face with our naked eyes, because there are pimple on face shape.
who wrong? nothing.all wrong and all right.so am I! I often wear masks in life I must resign everyday.how I have to droop my head when oldman past a front me (this may be polite-polite) or this is only a mask to make me to respect invisible people.
any way I don,tknow, I just like same mask craft, although I have a mask.

the bird'sdance

one a year to commemorate the birth of nabi Muhammad, yogyakarta always make Sekaten (night market).from kid,s toys, handicrafts and arts stage,we can find here..in this stage we can see a variety of diverse cultures, and one of them is dance jawa,sdance. culture inherit to this young generation, should we support so we can show the world that is very rich.

homesick

I went to solo this morning.cause I wanna see myparents.I have short massage from myyoungsister if my father gets sick.start at 06.00am from yogya took slowly,I need 2 hours,cause when I went there I used mymotor.l relax so I am not so tired.after I arrived in myparentshouse and met my familly.I,m really happy cause my father is fine now.not change,if I back to hereI was remember when childhood.maybe one time when I became old,I wanna live there.

I,M A GOODMAN?

When I see in the mirror,there was question,who am I? and I said”I,m a goodman.when I said only in myheart is ok and not to say public.
What do you think? Same answer with me,”MAYBE yes or MAYBE no”.
We wanna have election soon and you will see,many candidat of legislatife(parlementer) say,I,m the best,honest,etc…of course goodman also.(capek dech).but until when are they became goodman?just when campaign or……..time will tell.
Life is difficult ,isn,t! sometime in myimagine.how if I became them?maybe again,I ,ll do it like them.
The problem now I,m not them. So I just hope they will became goodman forever not for a moment

life is hard

life is beautiful and life is hard.we still can see oldman in mycountry,and they still hard work for life.most they came from poorfamilly.cause money, when they childhood,they have no enought education,so no good job.to work like this one really not they want,cause no choice.
but for me they better than corruptionman in mycountry cause they rich money but poor heart.