Lawyers call for enactment of antidiscrimination law
Lawyers call for enactment of antidiscrimination law
JAKARTA (JP): Two ethnic Chinese lawyers have called on the
government to institute an antidiscrimination law to end
prejudice and hostility toward Chinese-Indonesians and promote
harmony among all ethnic groups.
Frans Hendra Winarta and Ester I. Yusuf expressed concern over
discrimination and the recent violent riots which targeted the
ethnic Chinese community.
"What sins have people of Chinese descent committed that they
were made subjects of racial discrimination?" Frans said at the
opening of a two-day seminar on Chinese ethnicity and Islam here
yesterday.
He said the government should take into account of mid-May
riots in several cities that left about 1,200 people dead and
spawned reports of the rape of numerous Chinese-Indonesian women.
"The government should make an official stand whether they
consider the ethnic Chinese an integral part of the Indonesian
nation or not," he said emotionally.
Esther said that in addition to a formal statute, the
government should initiate national reconciliation among ethnic
groups in an endeavor to maintain the nation's unity.
She added that the government should also ratify the UN
Convention on Eradication of all Forms of Race Discrimination to
show its commitment to harmony among ethnic groups.
According to Frans, history clearly showed that the ethnic
Chinese were part of the nation and present here since at least
the 17th century, long before Indonesia declared its independence
in 1945.
"During the Old Order era, there was no problem with the
Chinese-Indonesians' assimilation with the so-called indigenous
people and many have showed their dedication to the nation in
politics, business, art and science."
He said an anti-China movement surfaced when China was linked
to an abortive coup believed to be led by the now banned
Indonesian Communist party (PKI) in 1965, with the result that
Chinese-Indonesians were alienated as an exclusive group during
the New Order regime.
Habib Abu Bakar Ali Assegaf, a Moslem leader and executive of
the Indonesian People's Sovereignty Party (PKRI), said Islam did
not teach people to hate others.
"How can Moslem people hate the ethnic Chinese as Prophet
Mohammad encouraged his followers to study in China. He was
referring to a saying of the prophet, or hadist, which urges
people to study even if it means going to far-off places like
China.
He called on all sides, especially Moslems and indigenous
people, to prevent themselves from sowing hatred or provoking
violence against Indonesians of Chinese descent since they were
part of the nation.
Habib also condemned the recent riots, saying the brutal acts
were against Islamic teaching. (rms)