Affirmative action could ease racial tension: Expert

JAKARTA (JP): An affirmative action policy assisting indigenous entrepreneurs could help ease tension with Chinese- Indonesians who run most of the economy, Jusuf Wanandi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says.

Indonesia should consider this option when addressing the wealth disparity between the two ethnic groups, Jusuf said.

The gap has often been exploited by certain parties to provoke attacks on the minority Chinese-Indonesians, he added.

"It's something that we must discuss and look at thoroughly... in a clear and transparent way such as through a national debate," Jusuf, the chairman of CSIS's Supervisory Board and one of the country's prominent Chinese-Indonesians, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Under the policy, the government would give privileges to indigenous entrepreneurs until the group could compete on equal terms with Chinese-Indonesians, he said.

The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in 1965 to bolster the position of minority groups, such as African-Americans and women, through education and creating job opportunities.

Neighboring Malaysia, following a bloody racial uprising in 1969, incorporated a policy to give preferential business treatment to bumiputra, the dominant yet economically disadvantaged indigenous Malays, over the ethnic Chinese.

The recent discourse on the gap between indigenous and nonindigenous groups was sparked by attacks on Chinese- Indonesians during the massive riots in Jakarta last month.

Rioters targeted mostly Chinese-Indonesians. They looted shops and houses, and reports have suggested that many Chinese women were raped and sexually assaulted.

Chinese-Indonesians make up about 4 percent of Indonesia's 205 million population, but they are the dominant force in the economy.

Malay is the predominant race in western Indonesia and Melanesian in eastern in Indonesia. They are dubbed pribumi, the indigenous population in the current debate.

When many of the wealthy Chinese fled abroad to avoid the turmoil they took much of their wealth with them, thereby further crippling the already ailing economy. Most of them have not returned in spite of government appeals and promises guaranteeing their safety.

Preconditions

Jusuf said some preconditions were needed for an affirmative action policy to work effectively.

"There must be legal certainty, so that nonindigenous people will not be subjected to other burdens once the policy is implemented," he said.

Although there is no institutionalized discrimination against Chinese-Indonesians, in practice many of them have had difficulties obtaining ID cards, passports, entering state universities or applying for government jobs.

The Jakarta administration promised last week to erase the policy of stamping special codes on the ID cards of Chinese- Indonesians.

The affirmative action policy must be fully and consistently implemented or else the wealth gap would remain, Jusuf said.

The policy must not lead to the creation of a new gap between rich and poor indigenous people, he said, noting that this phenomenon had already happened in Malaysia.

The chief objective of the affirmative action policy would be to bring the two ethnic groups closer, he said.

"In Malaysia, the measure led to greater cooperation (between bumiputra and Chinese). They formed joint-ventures. The indigenous people developed their entrepreneurial skills because they were given the opportunity to do so," Jusuf said.

Jusuf cautioned that when drafting the regulation on affirmative action policy, the government must take into account that not all Chinese-Indonesians were wealthy.

Many of them are very poor, contrary to popular belief, he said.

The resentment caused by the wealth gap was often targeted indiscriminately at all Chinese-Indonesians, he said.

Jusuf predicted that it would take about one year of debate before the idea could be widely accepted.

The policy, if agreed, would likely happen under the next elected government rather than that of President B.J. Habibie.

"But the debate should begin now. It must be part of the reform agenda," Jusuf said. (aan)