Ester wages war against scourge of discrimination

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."