Un-happily ever after<\/p>\n
There are many forms of discrimination. Some inherent due to
\nignorance, others proliferated by economic envy. Then there are
\nthose resulting from sheer bigotry.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the worst kind of prejudice is one that is propagated
\nby the state, and mandated through unjust laws that perpetuate
\nthe legitimization of wrongful biases.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's archaic Citizenship Law is one flagrant example of
\nhow a prejudicial mind set is preserved by condoning preferential
\ntreatment of one citizen over the other.<\/p>\n
Law No. 6\/1958 stipulates that an Indonesia woman who marries
\na foreigner cannot sponsor stay permits for her spouse or their
\nchildren. Neither can she automatically claim citizenship for her
\nchildren from that marriage, since they are, by these laws,
\nrequired to only adopt the citizenship of their non-Indonesian
\nfather.<\/p>\n
At the heart of these principles is a chauvinistic bias, which
\nrefuses to accord women the same rights as an Indonesian man who
\nmarries a non-Indonesian woman.<\/p>\n
This is just one example of the many debilitating laws that
\npropagate sexism and prejudice in this country.<\/p>\n
When confronted, most everyone agrees about the need for
\nchange. But in practice, there is a clear lack of political will
\nto make the necessary amendments.<\/p>\n
Issues relating to citizenship as a result of marriage are
\njust the tip of the iceberg. The right of citizenship for 'non-
\nindigenous' Indonesians (e.g. Chinese-Indonesians) often remain
\ncomplicated despite presidents making declarations and issuing
\ndecrees prohibiting discriminatory treatment.<\/p>\n
The bureaucracy seems to delight in complicating
\nadministrative procedures. Reports suggest that permits from
\nabout a dozen institutions -- the community unit (RT), the
\nneighborhood unit (RW), the subdistrict office, the district
\noffice, the municipality office, the gubernatorial office, the
\nsubdistrict police, the district police, the city\/provincial
\npolice, the prosecutor's office, the district court and finally
\nthe Ministry of Justice and Human Rights -- are involved in the
\nprocess of issuing a citizenship certificate before it can be
\nsigned by the president.<\/p>\n
Eventually these \"procedures\" appear to be nothing more than
\nan extortion scam for bureaucrats to exact money.<\/p>\n
Under the guise of security, the spirit of these regulations
\ntreat those who want citizenship as \"potential traitors\" rather
\nthan those who desire to dedicate their life to living in this
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
We understand that regulations are necessary, and conditions
\nare required. But we cannot accept laws that are based on gender
\nbias and simply are in place to line the pockets of immigration
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
An Indonesian woman must be equal in rights and privileges as
\nthose of a man. That privilege should also be extended, based on
\nrational considerations, especially to her children who have a
\nright to seek Indonesian citizenship.<\/p>\n
Several of the laws relating to this issue were drafted in an
\nera of xenophobia fueled by cold war rivalries. In this ever-
\nshrinking world, mixed marriages will become more common. Hence
\nthe spirit of these regulations should be one of facilitation,
\nnot complication; inclusion, not exclusion.<\/p>\n
We should modernize our narrow perceptions of an Indonesia
\nbeyond fatuous notions of skin color or blood lines. If a person
\nfrom Sumatra can acclimatize and be accepted into the subtleties
\nof Yogyakarta (Javanese) culture, for example, so too can a
\nforeign resident, who is married to an Indonesian, become a good
\nIndonesian.<\/p>\n
It is ironic that while the greatest emotion God gave his
\npeople -- love -- can unite couples from different races,
\nreligions and nations, there are still people here who seek to
\ntear them apart using narrow-mindedness and legal semantics.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/un-happily-ever-after-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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