31 May 2013

What award winning President SBY should say

It’s not every day that a world leader whose country frequently makes the news for sectarian violence wins a religious freedom award. 

But on May 30, the Appeal of Conscience Foundation in New York City will honor Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with its World Statesman Award, given annually to an individual who supports “religious freedom and human rights throughout the world” and “promotes peace, tolerance and ethnic conflict resolution”.

In light of the deteriorating situation facing religious minorities in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, news of the award came as a surprise. But in accepting the accolades, President Yudhoyono has an opportunity to transform an event likely to cast a harsh spotlight on Indonesia into a genuinely positive occasion.


To do that, here is the award speech Yudhoyono should give: 

“Members of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, distinguished guests, citizens of Indonesia and citizens of the world:

“Thank you for this award. Indonesia has come a considerable way since the end of the repressive New Order policies of the late President Soeharto. Over the past 14 years the country has made great strides in becoming a stable democracy with a strong civil society and an independent media.

“But I wish to focus my remarks this evening on the issues of promoting religious freedom and tolerance and ending ethnic conflict.

“Awards such as this can serve two purposes. They can honor an individual for their past accomplishments. And they can publicly exhort, cajole and inspire an individual to future actions. 

“US President Barack Obama acknowledged this when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, just months after taking office. ‘I would be remiss,’ he told the Nobel committee, ‘if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage.’

“I would be similarly remiss if I did not recognize the controversy that surrounds my receiving this award. Efforts to promote the equality of all religious beliefs in Indonesia, and to stop the discrimination and violence against minority religions, cannot even be said to have begun, let alone reached an end.

“This evening I will briefly share with you the threats to religious freedom that persist today in Indonesia and, more importantly, my concrete plans to address them. In this way, I hope not only to give meaning to this award, but also set the stage to improve the lives of all Indonesians. 


“In recent years, Islamist militant groups in Indonesia have committed increasingly aggressive harassment and assaults against members and houses of worship of religious minorities, including Ahmadiyah, Christians and Shia Muslims. Many people have been killed or injured just for practicing their faith. Local authorities and police often respond slowly or not at all to this violence. And few perpetrators have been adequately punished by the courts.

“Tonight I wish to announce my government’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy regarding attacks on religious minorities. I pledge that every attack on a religious community will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

“Second, government officials, instead of being part of the solution to sectarian violence, have all too often been part of the problem. Local authorities have responded to acts of arson and other crimes by blaming the victims. While some national officials have spoken out in defense of religious minorities, others have made discriminatory and disparaging statements. I must admit that I stood silent as my own minister of religious affairs has called for the banning of the Ahmadiyah religious community. 

“I pledge to take immediate disciplinary or legal action against all government officials, no matter how senior, who make statements or engage in actions that promote religious discrimination or condone violence against religious minorities. 

“Lastly, Indonesian authorities enforce discriminatory laws and regulations against religious minorities, including a blasphemy law that officially recognizes only six religions. These laws have facilitated harassment and intimidation of religious minorities by officials who refuse to issue building permits for minority houses of worship and who pressure their congregations to relocate. In two cases, local officials even refused to implement Supreme Court decisions granting minority groups the right to build houses of worship.

“My government will undertake a review of existing laws, regulations, and decrees on religion to identify provisions at odds with the rights to freedom of religion and conscience. I will then work closely with parliament to revise or repeal those provisions that are contrary to the constitution or Indonesia’s international legal obligations.

“As soon as I return to Indonesia I will establish an independent national taskforce on protecting the rights of religious minorities composed of experts and influential individuals who are committed to religious freedom. And I will begin a public education campaign to promote tolerance of all religious beliefs. 

“Ending harassment and violence against religious minorities in Indonesia is an important prize still to be won. Tonight I believe we are making a start. Thank you.”

The writer is legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch.

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