Foreign husbands and human rights

Foreign husbands and human rights

The letter from Hario Subayu (The Jakarta Post of March 11,
1995) was a precise, prompt and respectful answer to the three
gentlemen regarding visas, work permits and human rights.

The trio of Kevin J. Dunphy (Feb.28, 1995), George Goring
(March 2, 1995) and Ulrich O. Zimmer (March 10,1995) should
understand that the Indonesian laws, rules and regulations that
are applied to entry, work permits, residency and citizenship are
no more complicated , strict or harsh than those applied by many
other countries in the world.

Dunphy states that he left New York on the advice of one
person to get married in Indonesia. It is obvious here that
anybody who can take such a big step without thoroughly checking
the facts in detail will suffer some disappointment. I have no
sympathy for him.

Goring then gave us a childish rhyme about illegitimate
children. To say that his poetry was distasteful would be an
understatement. However, his basic facts were correct.

Zimmer's unsubstantiated, snide remark about a current member
of cabinet, even though an example, were scandalous. Zimmer
should be sufficiently experienced with the Indonesian way of
life, after nine years in this country, to know that it is
considered indecent to throw abuse at government officials, with
words such as "ignorance," "technocratism," "narrowness" and "an
absolute disgrace for Indonesia", especially when he is guest in
this country.

Zimmer seems to think that, together with Dunphy and Goring,
they should be treated as "special" and not "ordinary" foreigners
because they have sired children with Indonesian wives. The local
male population is quite capable of taking care of the population
boom themselves.

If Zimmer is sincere and serious about being, in his words,
"one of those unfortunate foreigners who are no more orang asing
(foreigner) here than in their country of origin and have no
place to go," then he is entitled for Indonesian citizenship, or
at least he is entitled to apply.

My advice to Zimmer is as follows. After your KIM/S, and the
required residency period, apply for your KIM/T as it is commonly
known. The "T" stands for tetap (permanent). Unless you work for
a company with money to burn, the cost of this will leave a
sizable hole in your bank account, so you must be sincere. Your
application for citizenship, I believe, will be treated fairly
and the fact that you have been legally married to an Indonesian
citizen for the past 18 years and have children born in Indonesia
will certainly be in your favor.

Then you must renounce or give up any other citizenship that
you currently hold because, as an Indonesian citizen and under
Indonesian law you cannot be a dual national.

If you are an Australian citizen, as is the case with George
Goring and his children the revocation and cancellation of
Australian citizenship will be done automatically by the
Australian Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic
Affairs on the date of obtaining Indonesian citizenship for both
the parent and the children.

You would then become subject to the rules and regulations
governing foreigners in your own country, should you wish to
visit or stay.

So, Zimmer, if you do decide to take this very important step,
I for one, sincerely hope that you do not write any letters of
complaint concerning your rights as an Indonesian citizen.

Having had the best of both worlds your case would be closed.

ROY A. HURST

Bogor, West Java