Government confirms SBKRI not required
Government confirms SBKRI not required
Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta
The Minister for Home Affairs Hari Sabarno told provincial and
regental/municipal secretaries on Thursday that the controversial
Indonesian Citizenship Certificate (SBKRI) was no longer required
from Chinese-Indonesians.
"The government sent a letter in 1996 stating that the SBKRI
was no longer needed to acquire official documents," Hari
explained to the regional officials.
Chinese-Indonesians -- more than five million throughout the
country -- are still required to produce the SBKRI when applying
for official documents, including birth certificates, citizenship
cards (KTP) and passports.
While the ruling was officially scrapped with the issuance of
presidential decree No. 6/1996 by then president Soeharto, civil
servants at provincial offices are still demanding that Chinese-
Indonesians produce the certificate, arguing that they have not
received the implementing regulations yet.
Hari told the secretaries that the SBKRI was only required of
ethnic Chinese people wishing to obtain Indonesian citizenship
for the first time.
"It should be understood that the children (of people who
already have such citizenship) no longer need an SBKRI. They are
Indonesians automatically," said Hari.
The minister admitted, however, that a lack of information
among his staff at the regional level had prompted them to ask
Chinese-Indonesians to present the certificate when applying for
official documents.
Some Chinese-Indonesians, including star badminton players
Susi Susanti, Alan Budikusuma and Hendrawan, have publicly
complained recently, because they were still asked to produce the
SBKRI and encountered difficulties in obtaining documents.
"There is no such thing as indigenous and non-indigenous
Indonesians. They (Chinese-Indonesians) are born here and make
many contributions to this country. They are all Indonesian
citizens," Hari stressed.
Hari called on Chinese-Indonesians to say no if they were
asked to produce SBKRI.
However, no punishment will be given to officers who do ask
for the SBKRI or create difficulties in the document registration
process for Chinese-Indonesians.
"Just report them (officials who ask for the SBKRI) to the
police. But what will happen next is up to the police," said
Hari.
Hari became furious, however, when a woman from the Anti-
Discrimination Institute shared her experiences of discrimination
while trying to register 125 Chinese-Indonesians in Tegal Alur,
West Jakarta.
The woman said the institution assisted 125 Chinese-
Indonesians and 529 indigenous Indonesians in Tegal Alur -- who
were too poor to register and pay for their birth certificates.
Those 529 indigenous citizens were granted birth certificates
at not cost, while the 125 Chinese-Indonesians were charged with
a crime for not registering their births.
Hari, however, snapped: "I do not want to hear such a story
here. I have known such things from A to Z. Can we make it quick
as it is late already?"
Chinese-Indonesian businessman Ciputra, who was at the forum,
said he still experienced discrimination. "My KTP still has the
09 code showing that I am a Chinese-Indonesian," he said.
He also said that the prolonged issue of the SBKRI was a way
for civil servants to get money from Chinese-Indonesians. "I have
a big concern for Chinese-Indonesians who are poor and can't get
the necessary documents because they can't pay."