Chinese New Year 2025: Tolerance Is Not Just Gong Xi Fa Cai

JAKARTA The Chinese New Year, which has been celebrated openly for more than two decades and back, is referred to as a form of tolerance for the Chinese ethnicity. However, many people say that tolerance in Indonesia continues to be tested.

Is the Fourth President Abdurrahman Wahid or who is familiarly called Gus Dur who finally allowed the Chinese New Year celebration or the Chinese ethnic year openly. He revoked Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 14 of 1967 made by Suharto. The sound of the Presidential Instruction is All forms of Chinese culture and traditions such as the Chinese New Year, puppet potehi performances, lion dances and so on may only be celebrated among families in the house or temples.

Gus Dur then issued Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2000. That way, people of Chinese descent whose freedom for almost 30 years has been limited by the New Order government to become independent.

The Reform Order uses the principle of ethnic coexistence in view of the equal rights of every Indonesian citizen so that discriminatory provisions in the New Order are revoked.

However, tolerance in Indonesia is still a recurring problem. In December 2024, the Kuningan Regency Government, West Java, banned the annual Jalsah Salanah activities of Ahmadiyah pilgrims.

The event is planned to be attended by 1,000 participants for three days. The preparations were also carried out long ago, including sending notification letters to district governments, village governments, and local police.

However, the event was canceled. At that time, the Acting Regent of Kuningan Agus Toyib said the decision to prohibit it was in order to maintain security in his area.

"After holding a coordination and joint hearing meeting with all Forkopimda, representatives from religious organizations and community leaders were also present, citing the security and conduciveness of the Kuningan Regency area," said Toyib's statement, reported by kulankab.go.id.

"We hereby officially prohibit the Kuningan Regency Government from allowing and prohibiting the Salanah Jalsah activities organized by the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation in Manislor Village, Jalaksana District, both internally [locally] and from other areas in Iuar Kuningan," Toyib added.

This is not the first time Ahmadiyah congregation activities have been banned. Starting from sealing mosques, to persecution often color the mass media.

During the ban on Salanah Jalsah at the end of last year, it returned to concern, former Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifuddin emphasized that everyone's freedom to associate, gather, and issue opinions is guaranteed by the constitution.

"Maintaining this harmony should not be collided with the fulfillment of citizens' rights. This should not be the case, because the fulfillment of rights is no less important," said the Minister of Religion for the 2014-2019 period, regarding the reasons for prohibiting it because it maintains security and conduciveness.

He also highlighted the need for the government to protect and serve the community, as well as the police so that no community rights are neglected.

"So both should be aligned, namely the harmony and rights of the citizens, do not clash. Do not let one impression be filled with harmony, but by carrying out people's rights," said Lukman Hakim.

The ban on Ahmadiyah activities seems 'protected' by the state, including through the Joint Decree (SKB) of the Three Ministers Number 3 of 2008 concerning Warning and Orders to Penganut, Members, and or Members of the Management of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation. The three ministerial decree contained a prohibition for Ahmadiyah followers to spread their religion or carry out religious activities.

Furthermore, West Java Governor Regulation Number 12 of 2011 concerning the Prohibition of Activities of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation in West Java. This governor's regulation contains a prohibition for adherents, members, and or administrators of Ahmadiyah to carry out activities or activities in any form related to interpreting activities.

The Setara Institute, a non-governmental organization in the human rights sector, noted that Ahmadiyah pilgrims are a minority group that experienced the most violations of religious freedom and belief in Indonesia. During the 2007-2020 period, there were 570 incidents of violence against Ahmadiyah's followers.

A number of key officials in the Tangerang Regency while coordinating the case of the disbandment of the church congregation in Tangerang (ANTARA/HO-Polres Metro Tangerang)

Setara Institute researcher, Ikhsan Yosarie said the existence of the three ministerial decree actually perpetuated intolerance against Ahmadiyah's followers. In addition, the MUI fatwa which was issued in 2005 also caused legal uncertainty resulting in discriminatory treatment of Ahmadiyah followers.

It is known that the MUI fatwa signed by the Chairman of the MUI Fatwa Commission for the period 2001-2007 Ma'ruf Amin said that the Ahmadiyah congregation was considered to have deviated from 'outside Islam' which the government had to disband. The theology difference between Ahmadiyah and Islam cannot be tolerated.

For this reason, said Ikhsan, the solution to overcome various forms of religious discrimination is to revoke all discriminatory legal products. He emphasized that policy making and making legal products are not carried out arbitrarily. Legal products and government policies must always adhere to the principles of religious freedom and human rights values.

The case of intolerance is not only experienced by the Ahmadiyah congregation. In May of the same year, a bad portrait of tolerance also occurred in South Tangerang. A group of residents in Poncol Village, Babakan Village, Setu District, South Tangerang, broke up the prayer service of Rosario, a dozen Catholic students at Pamulang University.

The dissolution also led to attacks and mistreatment of students. In fact, a student was injured as a result of being stabbed by sharp weapons. The rise of cases of intolerance shows that the state has not been able to guarantee religious freedom and worship its citizens who are protected by the constitution.

Cases of repeated intolerance in the country cannot be underestimated. Small eruptions risk triggering widespread conflict, which is why the state must be present to protect its citizens.

General Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Central Executive for the period 2022-2027 Abdul Mu'ti assessed that the construction of tolerance between religious communities in Indonesia was still problematic. Uniquely, according to him, the problem occurred bigger among fellow religions.

"In my opinion, it is still a record, especially related to the construction of harmony in Indonesia, it is actually not strong enough. This is one thing that I think we honestly have to admit like that," said Abdul Mu'ti, quoted by the Muhammadiyah page.

Not only minority groups such as Ahmadiyah, religious groups such as Muhammadiyah have also been victims of intolerant acts, such as the establishment of places of worship. Abdul Mu'ti told about the case of a mosque in Bireun, Aceh, which was damaged.