Tony Hotland, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reassured the public Saturday that Chinese-Indonesians were legally recognized and their constitutional rights guaranteed by the state, therefore, any acts of discrimination against them must be stopped.
Speaking before some 5,000 Confucians in a gathering to celebrate Chinese New Year in Jakarta, he called on them to work together to integrate and to close the existing gap with other members of society.
In the same event, Indonesian Confucian High Council chairman Budi S. Tanuwibowo said Confucians were still deprived of their basic rights, such as to have their marriages recognized, to have access to lessons in Confucianism at school for their children and to have their religion printed on their identity cards.
"We hope President Susilo's administration will make this real since the government's commitment to say "No" to discrimination still has to be demonstrated," he said.
Yudhoyono acknowledged the complaints over discriminatory acts against Chinese-Indonesians with regards citizenship, nationality, religious rituals and marriages.
Despite the state recognition of Chinese-Indonesians, officials at the lower bureaucratic levels and common people were still adjusting to the changes, he said.
"This is a sociological phase that requires time and hard work on the part of the government and collective goodwill," the President said. He promised that the government, based on Law No. 22/2003, would facilitate access to Confucianist lessons at schools in the near future.
Yudhoyono asserted that marriages conducted in the Confucianist tradition were legally recognized, therefore, there was no reason for government officials not to record them in the Civil Registry Office.
"The law acknowledges Confucianism as one of the religions in Indonesia, and in principle the state guarantees the freedom of their followers to practice their religious duties. There's no need to fear and no reason to say you're being discriminated against," he said.
The President also told the Chinese-Indonesians to continue sharing with less fortunate members of the public, including victims of natural disasters. "This surely will help the integration process, which in turn will create the glory of this nation," Yudhoyono said.
This year's celebration of Chinese New Year known as Imlek, which fell on Jan. 29, was the seventh after former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid rescinded Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 in 2000 that banned such an event from being openly celebrated. Abdurrahman's successor Megawati Soekarnoputri followed suit by declaring the Chinese New Year a national holiday.
State officials attending Saturday's ceremony at the Jakarta Convention Center included Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni, Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf, Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono, Constitutional Court chief Jimly Asshiddiqie and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.
Also in attendance were Gus Dur, who is also a former Nahdlatul Ulama leader, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin, Indonesian Hindu Dharma Council chairman I.N. Suwandha, Indonesian Communion of Churches chairman A.A. Yewangoe and Indonesian Bishops Conference chairman Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja.