Ten parties pledge to end discrimination

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ten political parties signed a pledge to end all forms of discrimination here on Thursday, including against Indonesians of Chinese descent.

They, however, offered no real plan on how to eliminate discrimination, leading to the suspicion that the pledge was little more than a political ploy to attract the political and economic support of the some six million Chinese-Indonesians ahead of elections.

The country will hold a legislative election on April 5, followed by a direct presidential election on July 5, with a runoff on Sept. 20 if necessary.

Roy BB Janis of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said his party consistently backed initiatives to end all forms of discrimination.

"We must, however, improve the quality of interaction between indigenous Indonesians and the ethnic Chinese as part of our efforts to end discrimination," he said.

Chinese-Indonesians have historically been convenient targets for social unrest due to their perceived control of the country's economy and their alleged reluctance to assimilate with indigenous Indonesians.

The secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Syaifullah Yusuf, said his party always upheld pluralism and rejected discrimination.

All 24 political parties contesting the legislative election were invited to sign the pledge, but only 10 showed up.

There was no explanation given for the absence of the other parties.

Those parties that sent representatives to the event were the PDI-P, the PKB, the Democratic Party, the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB), the Marhaenism Indonesian National Party (PNI Marhaenisme), the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), the Socialist Democratic Labor Party (PBSD), the Indonesian Democratic Vanguard Party (PPDI) and the Indonesian Unity Party (PSI).

A supporter of the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) also signed the pledge.

During a discussion before the signing, a member of the organizing committee, Rev. Ronny Sigarlaki, said there were still about 48 discriminatory regulations that affected Chinese- Indonesians.

Indradi Kusuma, secretary of the Forum for National Communication and Unity, urged the government to issue a law ending racial and ethnic discrimination.

The House of Representatives has prepared an antidiscrimination bill, which is still awaiting deliberation.

Human rights activist Albert Hasibuan said the newly amended 1945 Constitution and several conventions Indonesia had adopted provided a legal basis for the recognition of human rights.

"Therefore, all laws and regulations must follow the Constitution," he said.

Political scientist Ikrar Nusa Bakti from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences said continued discrimination in the country showed the problem was not only a matter of regulations, but also was related to a lack of political will.

"The government has allowed Chinese-Indonesians to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but that is not enough. There are still numerous discriminatory regulations. It is the time to revoke all of these regulations," he said.