Passport renewal

Passport renewal

From Kompas

As an Indonesian citizen of Chinese descent, I have long experienced discriminatory treatment in renewing my passport. Being a Chinese Indonesian, I was required to show original documents of my parents and even of my late grandfather, which encompassed the F3 form about relinquishing of the Chinese citizenship, a name-change certificate, a certificate of evidence of citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia (better know as SBKRI), marriage certificates and birth certificates.

In view of the above, allow me to ask the officials responsible for drafting the regulations whether all these requirements are really necessary or are they just set forth to treat Indonesian citizens of Chinese origin as big-wig criminals whose lineage should arouse suspicion. My late grandfather, for example, was born in Indonesia and was a naturalized Indonesian, as proven by his SBKRI. I myself have got my own resident identity card, a passport for an Indonesian citizen and all other documents certifying that I am truly and legitimately an Indonesian citizen. To obtain a piece of paper certifying that we are legitimately Indonesian citizens, we -- parents, children and grandchildren included -- have to go through a screening session, for which a certain amount of money has to be paid as the fee.

It is strange but true, Indonesian citizens of non-Chinese descent, for example those of Arabic stock, are not required to possess SBKRI and a host of other documents to prove their Indonesian citizenship.

Come on now, the government of the Republic of Indonesia. If this is not discrimination, what is it then?

SANTOSO

Jakarta