Affirmative action could ease racial tension: Expert

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)