Ethnic Chinese who fled urged to return home
Ethnic Chinese who fled urged to return home
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid and top
businessman William Soeryadjaya urged the thousands of Chinese-
Indonesians who fled the country in the wake of last month's
riots to return and help revive the nation's stalled economy.
Abdurrahman, 57, leader of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul
Ulama Moslem organization, and William, 75, founder of the Astra
International business group, said in a joint statement here
yesterday that the return of the country's ethnic Chinese,
especially those with entrepreneurial skills, was crucial in
helping the nation of out its economic doldrums.
They both acknowledged that Chinese-Indonesian entrepeneurs
formed the backbone of the country's business sector, and that it
would be difficult to resuscitate the national economy without
them.
"So, please return because we need you all to revive our
economy," Abdurrahman told a news conference at his house in
Ciganjur, South Jakarta.
Abdurrahman disparaged those who have regarded the departure
of the ethnic Chinese as an opportunity for indigenous
Indonesians to take over the country's economic reigns.
"I consider that opinion as a mere daydream," Abdurrahman
said, adding that it was unrealistic to think that indigenous
Indonesians alone would be able to rebuild the economy.
"For years, I have been saying that without Chinese-Indonesian
citizens...there would not be an economy here.
"At that time, I came under fire for saying that but it is
still my opinion."
Chinese-Indonesian businesses and establishments perceived to
be owned by them were main targets in the riots which hit several
major cities last month.
Indonesians of Chinese descent account for only 4 percent of
the country's 202 million people but are estimated to control 70
percent of the economy.
The Ministry of Justice said earlier this month that more than
150,000 Indonesians and foreigners fled the country in the wake
of last month's riots which led to the downfall of Soeharto.
The ministry said 70,837 Indonesians, mostly of Chinese
descent, left the country from airports and seaports in Java,
Bali and Sumatra.
The ministry said that as of the end of last month, only
27,616 Indonesians had returned.
Safety
William was optimistic that the ethnic Chinese would
eventually return to Indonesia.
"It is only a matter of time," he said.
But he predicted that the swiftness of their return would
depend very much on the government's ability to ensure a secure
environment.
"They have been through such a bad experience, so we all pray
that they can forget that," William said.
Both Abdurrahman and William stressed the importance of
continued government reassurances over the safety of its ethnic
Chinese citizens.
Furthermore, the government must provide some form of legal
certitude, they said.
"In order for all Indonesians of Chinese descent who are now
abroad to return to Indonesia, the government must guarantee
their social, economic and political life...the making of a
certain law to ensure this should be considered," they said in
their statement.
Abdurrahman said other religious and community figures should
support statements by President B.J. Habibie and Minister of
Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto who have
guaranteed the safety of Chinese-Indonesians.
"There are many leaders and they all should demonstrate the
same attention to our Chinese-Indonesian friends," Abdurrahman
said.
Wiranto called on members of the Armed Forces last week to act
firmly to ensure people's safety. He warned that those who
continued to undermine public order would suffer the
consequences.
William yesterday called on his fellow ethnic Chinese citizens
to make efforts to assimilate once they returned to Indonesia.
"They should not seclude themselves and they must conduct
business fairly," William said.
Abdurrahman admitted that the assimilation process could not
be done in a matter of one or two generations, but that it could
take generations. (byg)