'Stop discrimination against ethnic Chinese'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hailing the move of President Abdurrahman Wahid
\nto allow Chinese-Indonesians to openly practice their religion
\nand perform traditional Chinese ceremonies, sociologist Melly G.
\nTan on Thursday hoped that discrimination against her ethnic
\ngroup could be immediately stopped.<\/p>\n
Melly cited the requirement for Chinese-Indonesians applying
\nfor a passport to show their citizenship paper.<\/p>\n
\"Whereas for non-Chinese people, it's enough to show a birth
\ncertificate. It means there's discrimination against Indonesians
\nof Chinese ancestry,\" she said on the sidelines of a book
\nlaunching ceremony.<\/p>\n
Such unfair treatment, she added, has created a great
\nopportunity for immigration officers to get extra money through
\nbribery.<\/p>\n
Melly also questioned the possibility of Chinese-Indonesians
\nbecoming civil servants, top government officials or students at
\nstate universities in this country.<\/p>\n
\"There was a Chinese-born minister recently, but that was only
\none,\" she added, referring to former coordinating minister of
\neconomy and finance, Kwik Kian Gie.<\/p>\n
During the 32-year-old New Order era of president Soeharto,
\nChinese symbols were banned and other Chinese cultural traditions
\nwere restricted.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid recently revoked Soeharto's
\nPresidential Instruction No. 41\/1967, which restricted Chinese
\nreligious practices and traditions.<\/p>\n
Expert on Chinese-Indonesians, Gondomono from University of
\nIndonesia, shared Melly's views.<\/p>\n
\"Just because there are several Chinese-Indonesians who
\ncollaborated with this country's elites and became successful and
\nrich, then the are Chinese always stereotyped and identified with
\nshrewd business,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Melly, many people like to assume that all
\nChinese are the same as certain Chinese-Indonesian businessmen
\nwho committed corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
\"People blame the prolonged monetary crisis on Chinese
\ntycoons, such as (Muhamad) Bob Hasan, Eddy Tanzil and Liem Sioe
\nLiong, while they actually couldn't do it if they didn't
\ncollaborate with non-Chinese people in the government and banking
\nindustry,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Melly and Gondomono were speaking at the launch of a book
\ntitled Prejudice on Ethnic Chinese, An Abstract, written by Yusiu
\nLiem, an Chinese-Indonesian professor.<\/p>\n
The book is actually a translation of the summary of Liem's
\ndissertation he made during his study in Germany. It is about the
\ncondition of ethnic Chinese in Indonesia during the 1970s to
\n1980s plus several writings on the May 1998 riots. (hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/stop-discrimination-against-ethnic-chinese-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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