Khoe Seng-seng: Chinese-Indonesians are Not Fleeing the Country
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Kamis, 10 Juli 2014 19:12 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Khoe Seng-seng, an Indonesian of Chinese-descent reputable for his legal battle against conglomerate Sinar Mas Group, has dismissed rumors that many Chinese-Indonesians are planning to flee the country lest rioting may break out after the July 9 presidential election.
"We remain calm,” he told Tempo on Thursday, July 10, 2014, adding that he was not concerned about any post-election riot.
He said the gossip that an uprising similar to the one in 1998 might recur was nonsense, particularly in connection with the rumored threat that rioting was imminent if Chinese-Indonesians failed to vote for a particular presidential hopeful.
He asserted that the fact that many Chinese-Indonesians were now travelling overseas was not attributed to the rumors of possible uprisings. “That’s not true. They are traveling abroad due to the school holiday season and the Lebaran holiday,” he said.
National Mandate Party (PAN) politician Alvin Lie seconded Khoe’s statement, saying that Chinese-Indonesians were traveling to Singapore and Hong Kong during the election day for holiday as opposed to shunning possible rioting.
“The issue is inaccurate and it may exacerbate the situation,” he said.
SAID HELABY
