Guarantee urged for Indonesians who fled

Guarantee urged for Indonesians who fled

JAKARTA (JP): The Coordinating Agency for National Unity
(Bakom PKB) called on the Armed Forces yesterday to provide a
security guarantee so that the estimated 40,000 Indonesians of
Chinese descent who fled abroad in the wake of unrest can return.

In a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid
yesterday they discussed efforts to attract these Indonesians
home and solutions to cases pertaining to ethnic and religious
relations.

"Without a security guarantee, it will be very difficult to
get them home," deputy chairwoman of the agency, Rosita S. Noor
told reporters.

"It's only logical if they ask for security protection from
the Armed Forces upon their return," she added.

She asserted that people should not question the sense of
nationalism of those who fled abroad since they did so in search
of physical safety during the riots which hit several cities in
May.

"They left the country because their lives were in danger,"
she said.

Indonesians of Chinese descent only comprise about 4 percent
of the population, however they are widely recognized as
dominating the economy.

Attacks on Chinese-owned properties were a conspicuous feature
of the May riots.

Economists believe that their return would also mean the
return of a large amount of capital, which went abroad together
with the Chinese-Indonesians.

Rosita said the minister responded positively to their
proposal and suggested there should not be any indigenous and
nonindigenous dichotomy in Indonesia's social, political and
economic dictionary in the future anymore.

"There should not be such a dichotomy anymore. We are supposed
to be united as a nation," Rosita quoted Syarwan as saying.

She said they also discussed plans to expand the agency's
remit into a mass organization.

"We want to get involved in operational activities instead of
just performing our consultative and conceptual roles," she said.

Included in Rosita's entourage were political scientist
Bachtiar Aly, businessman Justian Suhandinata, senior journalists
Fikri Jufri and Lukman Umar and Golkar official Krissantono.

Bakom PKB was set up to enhance relations between Indonesia's
indigenous and nonindigenous community. (imn)