Assembly called racist over possible 'pribumi' decree<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana and Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) became the target of
\ncriticism on Saturday and was accused of being racist and
\ndiscriminative for agreeing to include the word pribumi
\n(indigenous Indonesian or non-immigrant) in a draft decree on
\neconomic recovery.<\/p>\n
Opposition came from businessmen, students and legislators who
\njoined hands in their demand for legislators to take out the
\nracist and discriminative word from the draft decree.<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said the term pribumi and non-
\npribumi was outdated and must be avoided.<\/p>\n
\"The use of the word pribumi would cause controversy and
\ncreate an image that after living as a free nation for more than
\nhalf a century we still differentiate between pribumi and non-
\npribumi,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction Yusuf
\nMuhammad also urged that discriminative nuances should be removed
\nfrom MPR decrees.<\/p>\n
\"We must not engage in discriminative acts against other
\nethnic groups, the Chinese in particular,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yusuf maintained, however, that in the past (government)
\npolicies were favorable to Chinese, causing suffering to the
\nmajority of Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Commission B in the MPR Annual Session agreed on Friday to
\ninclude the word pribumi. The inclusion of the word followed a
\nheated debate due to strong opposition from several commission
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
The draft decree recommends, among other things, \"Improving
\nthe national economic structure by widening public participation
\nand emancipation, including gender equity, in order to boost and
\ndevelop the economic status of the underprivileged and indigenous
\npeople.\"<\/p>\n
The term non-pribumi refers to Indonesians of Chinese descent,
\ndespite the fact that there are other non-indigenous people,
\nincluding Indians and Arabs.<\/p>\n
Sutrisna from the Regional Representatives faction meanwhile
\ndefended Commission B's decision.<\/p>\n
\"Seventy-five percent of our people are poor, they don't have
\ndignity, even our migrant workers are being sent home. Let's not
\nbe hypocrites, we are indigenous and we are representatives of
\nthe people, not of the business tycoons,\" Sutrisna said.<\/p>\n
Other legislators also strongly demanded that the indigenous
\npeople be given privileges in the economic sectors, to enable
\nthem catch up with fellow Chinese-Indonesians who were already
\nahead in the business sector.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said his faction
\nwas against the use of the word pribumi.<\/p>\n
The term could fuel antipathy and disappointment among the
\nethnic Chinese, who have been living in harmony with locals for
\nhundreds of years and who have the same rights and duties as
\nother Indonesian citizens, said Soetardjo, who is also a deputy
\nchairman of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Another PDI Perjuangan legislator, JE Sahetapy, added that the
\nword pribumi was used only by Dutch colonialists.<\/p>\n
\"During the Dutch colonial times, there were many regulations
\nwritten in Dutch regarding public facilities that really hurt our
\nfeelings, such as notices that read 'Entry to all except
\nindigenous and dogs',\" Sahetapy said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Opposition also came from the Student and Small Business
\nCoalition, who accused the MPR of being racist.<\/p>\n
Alvin Lie Ling Piao, a member of the Reform faction,
\nthreatened to walk out of the meeting if the plenary endorsed the
\nrecommendation for the use of the word pribumi in the draft
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
\"If the debate on pribumi and non-pribumi is continued, then
\nthe MPR will regress,\" said Alvin, adding that the amended 1945
\nConstitution had eliminated the word pribumi.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the amended version Article 6(1) on the
\npresident and vice president, which says that presidential and
\nvice presidential candidates must be Indonesian citizens by
\nbirth. The original version stated that the president and vice
\npresident should be indigenous citizens of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, experts lambasted the decree as a throwback to the
\nNew Order regime era, saying that such a dichotomy was the last
\nthing the country needed in its bid to recover from the economic
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Noted economists Pande Radja Silalahi and H.S. Dillon said
\nthat the decree would only tear the country apart while at
\npresent we needed to join hands to handle the crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We can't go back to the old paradigm. What we need to do is
\nto build the country based on social and economic justice,\"
\nDillon told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Both Dillon and Pande said that should the decree be approved
\nit would have a negative impact on the country, not only
\neconomically but also politically.<\/p>\n
\"People may interpret the decree according to their interests.
\nIt will effect government policies,\" said Dillon.<\/p>\n
In addition, Dillon said that it could prevent direct foreign
\ninvestment from entering the country.<\/p>\n
\"Who wants to invest in the country where the democratic
\nprocess is not functioning?\" Dillon remarked.<\/p>",
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