A Chinese-Indonesian community association has praised the government’s moves to abolish several discriminatory regulations against citizens of Chinese descent in the country.
The Chinese-Indonesian Social Association (PSMTI)’s national meeting chairman Gunadi Sindhuwinata said under the previous discriminatory regulations, Chinese-Indonesians had been treated unequally and categorized as “non-native”.
In Indonesia, he said, ethnic-Chinese communities were now being treated relatively equally in all aspects of life. Apart from the abolishment of discriminatory regulations, which hampered activities related to Chinese culture, the issuance of Law No. 40/2008 on the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination was another measure taken by the government to combat unequal treatment, he added.
“I thank the government for having provided more room to us [to express our culture]. There has been no more discrimination. Previously, we only could advance in the economic field but now we have expanded our activities in all fields-legislative, judicature and executive,” Gunadi told The Jakarta Post.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 18th PSMTI national meeting, which coincided with the 8th ASEAN Chinese Clans Conference, in Batam on Sunday. Some 1,200 participants and representatives of 70 Chinese clans in the country attended the meeting, which ran from Oct. 21 to 22.
Gunadi said people of Chinese descent had been elected as leaders of several areas across the country. Several Cabinet ministers such as Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and former trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu were also of Chinese descent, he went on.
“We want to encourage [Chinese-Indonesians] to continue contributing to this country,” he said.
