Ester wages war against scourge of discrimination

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the opinion of human rights activist Ester Jusuf Purba, the Indonesian people are basically racist. Even worse, she contends, it is the country's laws that actually encourage discriminatory behavior.

"Hand in hand, of Chinese descent or not, our society upholds discrimination," Ester said during a recent interview.

It is not a baseless statement. The 30-year-old activist knows from experience all about prejudice.

Ester's Chinese name is Sim Ai Ling, and she has long been involved in the anti-racism, anti-ethnic discrimination movement.

Ever since her senior year at the University of Indonesia's School of Law, Ester worked on human rights violation cases involving people from disadvantaged groups.

Among the cases she worked on was that of a Tarumanagara University student tortured to death by members of the campus student regiment (Menwa) and the bloody takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on July 27, 1996, which triggered mass rioting.

In 1996, she joined the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), before establishing a non-governmental organization called Solidaritas Nusa Bangsa (Solidarity of the Country/SNB) with young fellow activists two years after the mass riots of May 1998, in which Chinese-Indonesians were the major target.

"Since the May 1998 riots, I've been prodded to do something against racism," she said. That month, she recalled, she set up a shelter for the victims of the lawlessness.

Ester said that discrimination is a structural problem in Indonesian society. The country still imposes a racist political system which is realized through laws and policies.

"There are dozens of racist regulations still imposed, like the citizenship papers, which are only obligatory for people of Chinese descent," said the soft-spoken woman.

The most pressing issue, she added, is the passage of anti- discrimination legislation. If the legal system changes, she said, everything else will automatically change.

"Some said we have to change the racist culture in society, but that will take a very long time," said the mother of two. First, "we have to change the law, because our society still thinks that the law is correct -- the thought that law is made in the interest of the country's rulers or investors has yet to be in people's heads."

The country, Ester added, also has to change the educational system to encourage the establishment of anti-discrimination institutions that punish people who commit acts of racial bias.

"If all are done, I guess things will change in a relatively short time," she said. "It's difficult to eliminate racial prejudice from people's minds, but if we have the law, and it is strictly imposed, maybe people will be afraid," to behave in a racist manner.

She pointed to the United States, where racist thinking among many people is prevalent, as an example. "But they don't dare do something racist because they will face the law," she said. "It's different here ... If we do something racist, that is legitimate, according to the law."

The law against racial and ethnic discrimination is especially urgent now, as the problem exists not only between people of Chinese descent and "native" Indonesians, but among other ethnic groups, too.

Ester believes it is incorrect to focus solely on anti-Chinese discrimination, but to promote instead "universal values" that are shared by all members of society.

"Once, there was a movement to show that people of Chinese descent were involved in the fight for this country's independence," she said. "They wanted to show that ethnic Chinese also have awareness for this country -- I agree, but if we just want to show the good things, that's unfair.

"What we should promote is the value that everyone should behave well, and respect the law," she continued.

"Describing how good an ethnic group is, it won't succeed because every ethnic group has its flaws; what we have to teach people are universal values," which include those of virtue, she emphasized.

Ester's perseverance in fighting discrimination has won her this year's Yap Thiam Hien human rights award.

The committee chose her because of her success in raising public awareness of discrimination against ethnic Chinese -- both at home and abroad, after she spoke before the annual session of the United Nations' Human Rights Commission in April.

The year 2001, however, was also a difficult one for Ester, as her husband, fellow activist Arnold Purba, died in May. At that time, she was pregnant with their second son, who is now three months old.

Ester said that losing her husband has not make her afraid of continuing with her life and caring after her children.

"For financial problems, I believe God will lead the way," she said. "I have to learn more, work harder, and also pray harder, so I can look after my children."

"But if you're asking about feelings, of course it's a deep loss ... I think I just have to compensate by working hard," she said. "Besides, there are so many things that have to be done to fight racism and discrimination."