Press Release SOLIDARITAS NUSA BANGSA No.: 54/SE/SNB/III/2000 The Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Racism: A Global Dilemma
Today thirty-six years ago the United Nations announced the International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It received the support of one hundred and eight countries, to which unfortunately Indonesia did not belong. It appears to us that these countries gave their support based on their full-awareness that racism poses a great threat on global peace and justice, that they were aware that the world had faced, was facing, and today continues to face an unwanted evil prejudice: racism. They understood the heavy burden, the damage and the deep sadness, which were forced upon millions of those who fell victim to the Fascist-Racist regime of Germany during WW II. The world is also remorseful of the discriminatory political system of Apartheid in South Africa. The racial crimes which face the black minority of the United States are also deeply regretted. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks the day on which the much of the world agreed that racism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned in all parts of the globe.
Racism is a global dilemma, not that of any one country, nor is it only that of the countries which gave their support to the Convention. South Africa has moved one step ahead with its abolishment of Apartheid after the victory of ANC a few years back. In other parts of the world, however, the Bosnian ethnics still struggle to resist their eradication, the Kurds find themselves trapped within malicious control, while the ethnic war in Rwanda between the Tutsi and the Hutu costs thousands of lives.
Racism in Indonesia
In our country, the land apparently famous for its friendliness, warmth and tolerance, racism occupies one of the highest ranks of the pressing problems which we must face. The racism our country faces may even occupy the highest rank of its kind in the world. Unlike the US and South Africa, where racism is based on skin colour, racism in Indonesia manifests itself through many dimensions. Discrimination based on ethnicity and religion is in many respects more complex than one based skin colour. The second difference between the racism Indonesia faces and that of South Africa and the US, is that racism in Indonesia gives effect to human rights violations in social, economic, political, legal and cultural spheres.
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