Chinese-Indonesians asked to produce SKBRI in Tangerang
Chinese-Indonesians asked to produce SKBRI in Tangerang
Multa Fidrus
The Jakarta Post/Tangerang
Chinese-Indonesians in Tangerang, Banten say local authorities
are rejecting their birth certificate applications on the basis
of their failure to produce an Indonesian citizenship certificate
(SBKRI), which was abolished by the central government.
Lie Chen, a resident of Sungapan in Dadap village, Kosambi,
Tangerang told The Jakarta Post recently that her mature age
application for a birth certificate had been turned down because
she had no SBKRI.
"They rejected my request as they said I still use a Chinese
name but don't have an SBKRI," said the 17 year old Lie.
Soeharto scrapped the SBKRI policy in 1996 through
presidential decree No. 6/1996. In 2000, then president
Abdurrahman Wahid revoked a decree of the People's Consultative
Assembly on the requirement for SBKRIs.
However, public servants continue to ask Chinese-Indonesians
applying for legal documents, including birth certificates and
passports, for their SBKRI.
"Please, don't make it difficult for us. We are applying for
birth certificates as we want our citizenship status to be
clear," said Lie's mother, Eny, 47, who earns a living doing
laundry for her neighbors.
Lie said she was just one of dozens of Chinese-Indonesians --
known in her area as China Benteng, whose birth certificate
applications were rejected recently.
Some of the applicants have filed complaints with the
Indonesian Antidiscrimination Agency (LADI) in Tangerang, while
others have chosen to keep quiet.
Rebecca Harsono, LADI executive chairwoman, said her office
had received complaints from 45 Chinese-Indonesians living in
Tangerang.
She wondered why the Tangerang administration required SBKRIs
from Chinese-Indonesians applying for birth certificates, while
neighboring Jakarta had long scrapped the policy.
She said there were at least 300,000 Chinese-Indonesians -- 10
percent of whom lived in Tangerang -- who had not been able to
obtain birth certificates because they used Chinese names.
"(Despite the law) Chinese-Indonesians have met difficulties
in applying for birth certificates, identification cards and
family cards from subdistrict offices," she said.
Head of the Tangerang Statistics Agency Uha Yuhati
acknowledged Chinese-Indonesians were required to show their
SKBRIs but denied any discrimination against them.
"We never make it difficult for Chinese-Indonesians to obtain
birth certificates at this office," Uha said.
She said the agency only asked Chinese-Indonesians to enclose
an SKBRI if they could not complete the requirements when
applying for a birth certificate.
"A letter of birth from a doctor or midwife, a copy of their
parents' marriage certificate, ID cards and family cards are
absolute requirements in applying for a birth certificate,' she
said.
She said the agency also obliged mature age birth certificate
applicants to enclose proof of their Indonesian citizenship,
including a letter from the district court stating that they were
Indonesian.
Uha said careful attention was needed in issuing birth
certificates.
"Once birth certificates we issued fell into the hands of a
child trafficking syndicate in Pamulang district," she said.