Megawati calls for social integration<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri told Chinese-Indonesians on
\nFriday to stop complaining about discrimination against them and
\nopen themselves up to other ethnic groups in the country.<\/p>\n
Speaking in front of about 100 Chinese-Indonesian
\nintellectuals, the President said that while the government had
\nto revoke discriminatory rulings, Chinese-Indonesians must do
\nmore to mingle with other ethnic groups.<\/p>\n
\"You always have to look at the other side of the coin: There
\nwere times when you had economic privileges at the cost of
\nothers, or when you excluded yourselves from the wider
\ncommunity,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
She said, as part of the nation, Chinese-Indonesians should
\nshow a willingness to build a genuine brotherhood with people
\nfrom other ethnic groups.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the President related a story about the
\nexperience of a friend of hers, who was from Padang, West
\nSumatra, and who fell in love with a Chinese-Indonesian man.<\/p>\n
\"They couldn't get married because the Chinese family refused
\nto have indigenous Indonesian in-laws. You have to pay attention
\nto these kind of issues as well,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Megawati said that if only both sides were ready to accept
\neach other, discrimination would end.<\/p>\n
\"If both sides have similar views, I'm sure harmony in
\nIndonesia would much more meaningful,\" the President said.<\/p>\n
Relations between Chinese-Indonesians and others have always
\nbeen an issue for the country, especially after decades of
\nauthoritarian leadership under former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
During his presidency, Chinese-Indonesians were not allowed to
\njoin political parties or observe their culture or religious
\npractices.<\/p>\n
Only after the fall of Soeharto in 1998, which marked the
\nbeginning of the country's reform movement, did Chinese-
\nIndonesians dare to enter politics and fight for putting an end
\nto discriminatory rulings.<\/p>\n
Chinese-Indonesians held a meeting with Megawati on Friday to
\nexpress their appreciation of government efforts to scrap the
\nCertificate of Indonesian Citizenship (SBKRI), which is still
\nrequired from Chinese-Indonesians when applying for official
\ndocuments such as passports.<\/p>\n
Megawati has repeatedly said there is no need for Chinese-
\nIndonesians to present an SBKRI if they already possessed other
\nidentification such as an Indonesian birth certificate or
\nidentification card (KTP).<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is set to launch a
\ncampaign next week on the abandonment of the SBKRI policy and to
\nestablish hotlines to receive complaints on the matter.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, Megawati promised to carefully assess the
\nimplementation of a no-SBKRI policy for those who had Indonesian
\ncitizenship.<\/p>\n
Also attending the meeting were noted badminton player Susi
\nSusanti, her husband Alan Budikusuma and legislator from the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB) A.B. Soesanto.<\/p>\n
\"I have once again ordered related ministries to ensure that
\nnone of their officials continue to take advantage of the SBKRI
\nissue,\" Megawati said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-calls-for-social-integration-1447893297",
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