Everyone concerned about nation is `indigenous': Habibie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Every citizen concerned about and committed to
\nimproving the fate of the nation is indigenous, regardless of
\ntheir ethnic group, President B.J. Habibie said here Saturday.<\/p>\n
Habibie told a group of mass media leaders at the Wisma Negara
\nstate guesthouse that even a person of Bugis ethnicity from South
\nSulawesi was considered a nonindigenous \"if he thinks only of
\nhimself and doesn't care about the nation's problems\".<\/p>\n
His comment was in response to a question on the widely
\nperceived public and state discrimination against ethnic Chinese
\nin the country, a minority most branded \"nonindigenous\" and which
\nwas the major target of assaults during days of unrest last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
\"There is no discrimination against the ethnic Chinese. I
\ndon't see any reason to close the door against any Indonesian
\ncitizen from becoming a civil servant or anything else,\" he said,
\nresponding to the question.<\/p>\n
\"One major general in the Army is from the ethnic Chinese
\ncommunity. There is no limitation for citizens who are ethnic
\nChinese,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Habibie's answer was supported by Minister of Information
\nMuhammad Yunus, an active Army lieutenant general formerly known
\nas Yunus Yosfiah, who said: \"The major general was in the same
\nclass as me (in the military academy).\"<\/p>\n
\"So gentlemen, let's not make an issue out of this problem
\nanymore, because the real Pancasila (state ideology) will not
\ntolerate SARA of any form,\" he said, referring to animosity
\nrooted from the issues of tribal affiliations, religion, race and
\nsocietal groups.<\/p>\n
Ethnic Chinese are traditionally the usual target for mob
\nviolence during times of hardship in Indonesia due to their
\nperceived wealth and because they control much of the trade and
\ncommerce throughout the vast archipelago, although they only
\nconstitute about 4 percent of the 202 million population.<\/p>\n
Shops and homes of ethnic Chinese were burned and looted
\nduring riots in Jakarta and elsewhere last month that helped
\ntopple former president Soeharto, who handed the reins over to
\nHabibie on May 21.<\/p>\n
Many women of ethnic Chinese were allegedly sexually abused by
\nrioters in the days of violence, in which 1,200 people from
\nvarious ethnic groups were killed.<\/p>\n
There is still deep concern in the Chinese community over the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
A group of Chinese-Indonesians declared on Friday their
\nintention of setting up a political party to remove
\nmisconceptions between their community and native Indonesians.<\/p>\n
The party will be called the Chinese-Indonesians for Reform
\nParty, the group said. (prb\/aan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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