Citizenship for Chinese

Citizenship for Chinese

The government's long overdue program to speed up the processing of applications for long-staying Chinese wanting Indonesian citizenship has seemingly stalled in Surabaya, where the East Java mayor had expected to finish the process next month.

Bureaucratic hurdles were to be expected, but many applicants are now complaining that after paying more than the official cost to process their documents, their citizenship certificates have yet to appear. Some have waited for years.

With the mayor now having set a deadline, an effort to settle the case once and for all has been made.

In the first place it is important to understand the motive behind the government's political will to speed up the "naturalization" process for the Chinese who have lived in Indonesia for many generations.

The process of "assimilating" the Chinese into Indonesian society has been going on for a long time. Many institutions have worked toward a better understanding of the importance of national unity among Indonesians and Indonesians of Chinese descent.

But the fact that the terms "indigenous" and "non-indigenous" still exist are a testimony to the long process of creating a society free of racial prejudice.

Therefore, those who will soon get their citizenships should be aware that the "naturalization" process is not merely a political or administrative affair. It also has its cultural and national-consciousness aspects. They should know that they will soon have the same responsibility as other Indonesians to work for the betterment of the nation.

The responsibility to create a society free of racial prejudice, however, does not lie with the new citizens alone. It is the responsibility of all Indonesians.

Racial differences should never again intervene in the political, social and cultural affairs of our nation.

-- Surabaya Post