Indonesia: Follow-up to IDN36472.E of 24 May 2001 on the treatment of Indians and Sikhs and the state protection available to them (January 2000 - May 2001)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 7 August 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IDN37627.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Indonesia: Follow-up to IDN36472.E of 24 May 2001 on the treatment of Indians and Sikhs and the state protection available to them (January 2000 - May 2001), 7 August 2001, IDN37627.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be3f10.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A 30 May 2001 letter from the Associate Dean of Social Sciences and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Papua New Guinea in Waigani states:
I am a specialist on South-East Asian politics and have written several books and many papers on this subject. ... I travelled to Indonesia regularly, speak and read Indonesian, and have access to both government and NGO community in the country. ...
The Indian community in Indonesia is extremely small, less than 1% of the population. Most of them are concentrated in the urban areas and are engaged in the business arena. In general, the State recognises them as a minority and they do not suffer any significant discrimination from the State or from the community. Given their small number, they are not a "visible" minority in Indonesia.
As far as I was able to ascertain, there are no reports of any violence against the Indian/Sikh community in Indonesia.
... In the unlikely event that they are discriminated/attacked as a group, they will not be able to get any real state protection or remedy from the courts. This is true for all minorities in Indonesia.
Indonesia is currently going through a transition from an authoritarian state to a more democratic state, and many state institutions, such as the police, military and the judiciary, are still getting used to being accountable and transparent in their activities. It will take at least another five years before state institutions in Indonesia can function properly, if political stability can be found.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Associate Dean of Social Sciences and Head of the Political Science department, University of Papua New Guinea, Waigani. 30 May 2001. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate.
