A Step for Freedom of Religion and Belief in Indonesia

Government Agrees to Recognize Smaller Religions on National ID Card

Andreas Harsono

Indonesia Researcher

Human Rights Watch

 In Indonesia, a believer in Judaism shows his new ID card with the religious column, "Belief in the one God." © 2023 Andreas Harsono/Human Rights Watch

In a step forward for freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia, citizens from smaller religious groups are now permitted to change the religious identity on their identity cards, with the introduction of a new category, kepercayaan (belief), alongside the six recognized religions.

Kepercayaan has become the seventh religious category to join the list of government-recognized religions – joining Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism – since the nationwide blasphemy law went into effect in 1965.

Marubat Sitorus, the secretary general of the Parmalim association, a local religious group located around Lake Toba, Sumatra Island, said that about 95 percent of its members had changed their religious identity to the new category. Starting in December 2017, the Parmalim were the first group to start changing their religious identity on their cards.

The introduction of a seventh category began in September 2016 when four believers of local religions filed a petition at the Constitutional Court to change the 2004 Population Administrative Law. The plaintiffs included Nggay Mehang Tana of Sumba Island, a Marapu believer; Pagar Demanra Sirait of Toba Samosir in Sumatra, a Parmalim believer; Arnol Purba of Medan Belawan in Sumatra, an Ugamo Bangsa Batak believer; and Carlim of Brebes, Java Island, a Sapta Darma believer.

In October 2017, the Constitutional Court found in their favor, ruling that it is discriminatory not to recognize their faith and ordering the Civil Registration Office to print “penghayat kepercayaan” (practitioner of belief) in the appropriate slot on the ID cards’ rather than leaving it as a blank strip.

However, the Indonesian Ulama Council, an umbrella organization of Muslim groups, disagreed, contending that kepercayaan are different from “monotheistic religions,” and suggested the government provide two types of ID cards – for religion and for belief. After some negotiations, the government and the ulamas, Muslim clerics, compromised and added the sentence “Belief in the one God,” putting multiple small religions into a single category.

“This is a positive step even though it is not yet [fully] in accordance with the Constitutional Court's decision,” Sitorus told Human Rights Watch. “The pressure faced by the government, including individuals in the government itself, was immense.”

At least 138,000 Indonesians, from many religious groups, had chosen this new category nationwide, according to the Civil Registration Office. Now the government needs to move forward to end other forms of discrimination in government, society, and business against the adherents of these small, localized religions. 

10 Pertanyaan soal Sejarah Jurnalisme di Indonesia

SAYA susun semua pertanyaan ini buat diskusi bersama lembaga pers mahasiswa Didaktika di Jakarta pada 19 Januari 2024. Ini buat memantik diskusi soal sejarah jurnalisme di Indonesia. Ia mencakup periode Hindia Belanda. Semua jawaban, kecuali satu buah, dengan mudah bisa didapat dengan Google.  

-- Andreas Harsono

Diskusi di Didaktika, Universitas Negeri Jakarta.

 1.⁠ ⁠Pada 1744, suratkabar Bataviase Nouvelles terbit di Batavia. Ia dianggap sebagai suratkabar pertama yang terbit di Hindia Belanda. Kapan suratkabar ini dibredel?

 2.⁠ ⁠Tjahaja Sijang terbit sejak 1869 dari Manado. Ia dianggap sebagai suratkabar berbahasa Melayu pertama di Hindia Belanda. Kapan suratkabar ini tutup? 

 3.⁠ ⁠Pada 1933-1934, di kota Jember terbit suratkabar Pembrita Djember. Ia tutup sesudah editornya ditangkap dan dipenjara dengan tuduhan menghina seorang Belanda. Siapa nama redaktur kepala suratkabar ini? Apa judul bukunya yang terkenal terbitan 1947? 

 4.⁠ ⁠Di Bandung pada 1966, sekelompok mahasiswa menerbitkan suratkabar Mahasiswa Indonesia guna meliput berbagai perubahan yang terjadi di Indonesia. Ia dibredel pada 1974. Siapa pemimpin redaksi suratkabar mahasiswa ini? Berapa sirkulasi puncak suratkabar tersebut?

 5.⁠ ⁠Sejak 1967, ketika Indonesia sudah mulai menguasai Papua Barat, diberlakukan pembatasan terhadap wartawan asing. Ia berlaku sampai sekarang. Berapa jumlah anggota clearing house di Kementerian Luar Negeri yang ditugaskan seleksi permohonan wartawan asing? Kementerian dan lembaga mana saja yang diwakili mereka?

 6.⁠ ⁠Pada Oktober 1975, militer Indonesia menembak mati lima wartawan Australia di kota Balibo, ketika mereka meliput penyerbuan Indonesia ke Timor Timur. Siapa nama kelima wartawan tersebut? Dan siapakah nama wartawan keenam yang ditembak mati di Dili?

 7.⁠ ⁠Pada Juni 1994, pemerintahan Presiden Soeharto bredel tiga mingguan: Detik, Editor dan Tempo. Sebuah organisasi wartawan muncul sebagai alat perjuangan buat kemerdekaan pers. Beberapa anggotanya lantas ditangkap dan dihukum penjara. Apa nama organisasi tersebut? Kapan ia didirikan?

 8.⁠ ⁠Pada Juli 1998, detik.com mulai muncul dari Jakarta, namanya diambil dari mingguan Detik, yang dibredel 1994. Ia menjadi media digital pertama di Indonesia. Pada Agustus 2011, Detik dijual kepada perusahaan lain. Apa nama perusahaan pembeli ini? Berapa harga yang dibayar? 

 9.⁠ ⁠Pada Juli 1999, Jawa Pos News Network bikin suratkabar lagi di Ambon, guna mengimbangi Suara Maluku, suratkabar milik mereka, agar liputan suratkabar satunya bisa meliput komunitas Muslim. Suara Maluku dituduh hanya menyuarakan komunitas Kristen. Apa nama suratkabar baru tersebut?

10.⁠ ⁠Pada 28 September 1999, seorang wartawan dari lembaga pers mahasiswa Teknokra memotret sebuah demonstrasi di Universitas Bandar Lampung. Dia gugur dalam tugasnya. Siapakah nama wartawan ini? Bagaimana dia meninggal?