From Yahoo! Indonesia:
UN Urges Indonesia to Eliminate Religious Discrimination
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights High, Navanethem Pillay, expressed her concerns over the number of religious discrimination cases in Indonesia. She urged the government to reconsider any laws that might intensify such discrimination.
“The fundamental principle of international human rights is non-discrimination. This principle applies in all subject areas for everyone,” said Navanethem in a press conference in Jakarta.
The regulations considered to endorse discrimination are the 1965 Defamation of Religion Act, the 1969 Decree of the Ministers, the 2006 law about the construction of worship houses, and the 2008 Joint Ministerial Decree on Ahmadiyah.
While in Indonesia, Navanethem met with a group of people who had suffered discrimination. They are the congregation of GKI Yasmin Bogor, Bekasi HKBP Filadelfia, Shia, and Ahmadiyah. She was concerned since the police has also failed to provide protection for these victims.
“The fundamental principle will disappear if a decisive action is not taken immediately. In fact, the Indonesia Constitution upholds this principle profoundly by stating that every person has the freedom to choose and worship according to his/her religion, ‘ explained a woman named Navi.
In the case of GKI Yasmin, for example, Navi stated that officials in Bogor have not followed through with the decision of the Supreme Court to reopen the church again. Up till now, the GKI Yasmin and HKBP Filadelfia congregations are still not able to worship. The church buildings were padlocked and their intentions to worship were interrupted by the masses.
In the case of Ahmadiyah during the celebration of Eid al-Adha, the police who were present at that time urged the Ahmadis to sign an agreement so they would not perform the Eid prayer. Their excuse was for the sake of public order.
Navi pressed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to settle all of these ongoing cases. ‘It is understood that violence issues in the community is not easy to resolve. However, I am concerned over statements by high officials who support this religious discrimination,” she said.
Comments from Yahoo! Indonesia:
OggiMenities:
If there is no human then there will be no mention of God… Therefore, God will be history. Hihihi…
Pil Koplo:
As usual… The majority who has power [Muslim] will win…
Slamet:
INDONESIA IS ALWAYS BRAGGING ABOUT BEING THE MOST TOLERANT COUNTRY… BUT IN REALITY?
Chia [reply to Slamet]:
Apparently it’s [Indonesia] the most HYPOCRITICAL!
Sri Handari:
Indeed that’s how things are. The government isn’t decisive in dealing with those intolerant groups.
Jenny [reply to Sri Handari]:
They [government] only care about their own pockets [bribe money].
Colorfuis:
A friend told me that in order to create an Indonesian Identity Card for non-Muslims, you’ll be required to present a baptism letter from church. Since it’s too troublesome, he allows his entire family’s Identity Card to print out Muslim as their religious. This is definitely an act of discrimination against non-Muslims.
Harno:
There you go! Even foreigners are concerned with it. We look even more foolish in front of them…
ari jatmiko hidayah:
If you do not like the laws in Indonesia then PLEASE JUST MOVE OUT, DON’T KEEP COMPLAINING!
Iwan:
RELIGION is never wrong…
But the people who worship the religion are the guilty ones…
Anto:
Laws and rules are being exploited by the lawmakers for business opportunities. This only happens in Indonesia…
Hulk:
God doesn’t have religion and doesn’t create religion. Humans are the ones who create the religion and claim themselves to be God’s prophets.
Putri:
Indonesia doesn’t belong to only one particular religion, so please be more tolerant!!
Bakar:
WHY DO THE CAMEL PEOPLE [Muslims] MOSTLY GROW GOAT BEARDS??
Islam itu K4F!R [reply to Bakar]:
It’s because their intelligence is also similar to goats.
What do you think of these netizens’ comments? Is religious discrimination in Indonesia serious? Can Indonesia be considered a tolerant country?
