RI to take steps against racial hatred<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legislators are taking a minor step forward in the way it
\nperceives bigotry against race, ethnicity and religion as
\nlawmakers proposed a new bill they hoped would become the
\ncountry's first law that deals with such issues.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives' plenary meeting on Tuesday
\nagreed to start discussing the internally proposed bill, along
\nwith another on the protection of witnesses and victims.<\/p>\n
Nine House factions hailed the race bill and said it was
\nnecessary to define and legislate the rampant discrimination
\nwithin the country's pluralistic society, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
The House steering committee would decide whether to form a
\nspecial committee or appoint one of its nine commissions to start
\ndebating the two bills, said House deputy chairman Tosari Widjaja
\nof the United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
The draft law on the elimination of racial and ethnic
\ndiscrimination comes in the face of a long running history of
\nanti-Chinese sentiment and threats of communal clashes simmering
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
The bill, however, fails to address gender issues. It does
\nhowever address various other issues under its race and ethnicity
\ncategories.<\/p>\n
The bill seeks to classify people according to physical
\ndifferences such as skin color variations, type of hair and body
\nheight.<\/p>\n
While ethnicity would be classified into separate categories
\nsuch as customs, traditions, languages, religion, history,
\ngeography and cultural relationships.<\/p>\n
Chapter III would ban public displays of hatred against those
\ndefined as different from the dominant ethnic\/religious group,
\nwhich may include literature, drawings, speeches or photos.<\/p>\n
Violations of this law could result in jail terms of at least
\none year to five years, and a penalty of between Rp 1 million
\n(about US$112) and Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
Individuals and non-governmental organizations specializing in
\nracial and ethnic discrimination may file lawsuits and seek
\ncompensation from those violating the law, if passed.<\/p>\n
It will also give the National Commission on Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM) the responsibility to monitor the implementation of
\nthe law. It seeks to give Komnas HAM the authority to evaluate
\ncompliance by the government and seek facts on individuals,
\ngroups, public or private institutions suspected of racially
\ndiscriminative action.<\/p>\n
The bill further demands the government to revoke a few of the
\ndozens of discriminative regulations still on the books, and to
\nensure all citizens stand equal before the law.<\/p>\n
Law No 26\/1958, for instance, on citizenship requires
\nIndonesian born Chinese to obtain documents not required for
\n\"indigenous\" Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Presidential Decree No. 240\/1966 requires all Chinese-
\nIndonesians to change their names to Indonesian-sounding ones.<\/p>\n
While Presidential Instruction No.37\/1967 limits the education
\nand economic opportunities for Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
However, the anti-discriminative bill, if it becomes a law,
\nmay not be of much help to quell rampant ethnic riots, according
\nto sociologist Ignas Kleden. He said much more depended on law
\nenforcement and society's own maturity.<\/p>\n
\"We have an anti-corruption law, but still corruption goes on
\nworse than ever,\" he told The Jakarta Post. \"So we need something
\nmore concrete.\"<\/p>\n
Since 1998 Indonesia has seen a rise in communal clashes many
\nof which continue despite numerous peace accords signed.<\/p>\n
According to Ignas, the country needed a social movement to
\nback up an anti-discrimination law as well as political support.<\/p>\n
Ethnic riots, he said, had more to do with economic injustice
\nthan racial hatred.<\/p>",
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