Govt must end 'politics of exclusion'

Govt must end 'politics of exclusion'

JAKARTA (JP): The government must end its "politics of
exclusion" toward citizens of Chinese descent and start afresh by
drafting laws which guarantee the rights of the minority,
observers said yesterday.

Human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis drew the attention of
a seminar on prevention of racial discrimination toward policies
which were discriminatory in nature.

There are, for instance, limitations on the numbers of
Chinese-Indonesians allowed in state universities and the
issuance of identity cards which were different from other groups
in society, he said.

"These policies are seeds of discrimination," he said. "The
government must immediately abolish them... and start anew by
drafting laws which guarantee the rights of the minority."

Todung cited, as one root of the problems, the previous
administration's obsession with economic growth and its neglect
of the nation-building process.

Analysts said the previous regime under Soeharto was supported
by conglomerates, mostly owned by people of Chinese descent. The
ethnic group made up 4 percent of the 202 million population but
controlled between 70 percent and 80 percent of the economy -- a
disparity which fueled widespread resentment.

When rioting broke out in Jakarta and other cities in early
May, Chinese-Indonesians were the target of the rampages. Apart
from about 1,200 people burned alive in many buildings, more than
160 women of Chinese descent were gang raped or sexually
assaulted.

The government and military have been condemned due to its
failure to protect the minority during the unrest.

Some 150,000 people -- mostly of Chinese descent -- fled the
country because of the rioting. This caused further economic
collapse.

Todung said the new administration must not repeat the same
mistakes.

"The racial tension must be bridged through a more egalitarian
culture," Todung said.

He also said the minority should not hesitate to file lawsuits
if they felt discriminated against.

Historian Ong Hok Ham said the government must end the
decades-long practices of exploiting the relatively prosperous
Chinese-Indonesians.

President B.J. Habibie has asked the fleeing Chinese descent
citizens to return to revitalize the economy. He has also pledged
to ratify the United Nations antidiscrimination convention to lay
the foundations for a campaign to banish the issue from
Indonesian society. (byg)