SBY promises to review law on citizenship

SBY promises to review law on citizenship

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono changed his tune about a plea
from an Indonesian woman married to a Chilean man when his
foreign minister told him the government received many similar
complaints from mixed couples having difficulty living in
Indonesia because of the country's citizenship law.

The issue came up during a discussion between the President
and the tiny Indonesian community in Santiago. Shanti Alvarez
told Susilo how the law in Indonesia made it virtually impossible
for her, her husband and their six-month-old son to live and work
in Indonesia.

"Every country has a law regarding this and as a good citizen
you have to follow the law," the President initially said.

But Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, who was asked
by the President to explain the current citizenship law, said the
issue of mixed couples being unable to live and work in Indonesia
had become a common problem.

In the absence of any specific initiative, all the government
can do is take complaints at this stage, he said.

The President, in Santiago for the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit, then interjected: "Laws are man-made.
And they were made in response to particular circumstances. They
can be changed when the circumstances change."

"Let's put this on the agenda. Let's review the law," he said,
adding: "This is for humanitarian and compassionate reasons."

The President said he was not a person to make promises. "But
God willing, we hope the new law addresses your concern."

Indonesian law makes it very difficult for foreigners to
receive citizenship. And while many foreigners married to
Indonesians do not intend to take Indonesian citizenship, they
still have to wade through mountains of red tape to obtain
permanent residence in the country.

The situation is even more difficult for Indonesian women
married to foreign men because Law No. 62/1958 on citizenship
says a child automatically receives the father's citizenship and
can only receive Indonesian citizenship upon turning 18.

An Indonesian woman who is married to a foreigner will lose
her citizenship if she fails to declare her intention to keep her
Indonesian citizenship within one year of her marriage.

Shanti, who is originally from Bandung, said she and her
husband Eduardo Alvarez Ormazabal tried to settle in Indonesia,
but gave up the effort after having to spend huge sums of money
because he had to go to Singapore to renew his visa every six
months.

"We are not rich. We can only offer our labor and our
education to Indonesia," said Shanti, who currently works as a
financial analyst.

Her husband is trained in tourism and hotel management.

"At the very least, they should make the law as equal for
foreign husbands as it is for foreign wives," she said.

"We want to raise our son like a good Muslim and we think
Indonesia is a better place," she said pointing to six-month-old
Yusuf As-Siddiq. -- JP/Endy M. Bayuni