Indonesian-Chinese Buddhists are holding social events to help the poor. They are joined by the Indonesian National Armed Forces.

Hundreds of Jakarta’s poor and needy line up in front of the Ekayana Buddhist Center to receive aid.

No less than 500 packets have been prepared for them by the Chinese Buddhist community in Jakarta.

Five doctors are also on hand to give free medical check-ups and medicine.

Members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces are also on the scene to help distribute the packets.

[Colonel Nugroho Budi, Indonesian National Armed Forces]:
“We are helping poor people. We know that nowadays poor people are facing hard conditions as a result of the global economic crisis.”

Cooperation in an activity like this one between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and a minority community is still a rare sight in Indonesia.

During the “new era” of the Suharto regime from 1966 to 1998, government officials discriminated against ethnic Chinese Buddhists.

Such treatment caused mental stress for the Buddhists and an unwillingness to open themselves up to government officials.

After the fall of the Suharto era in 1998, Indonesia began to open up to reform.

Many new laws are being drafted to erase much of the discrimination against Indonesia’s minority communities.

[Kunardy, Ekayana Buddhist Center]:
“The Indonesia National Armed Forces and ourselves are working together for the public interest. The special meaning from today’s activity is that we can increase mutual togetherness and friendship.”

Indonesia has the largest number of ethnic Chinese in the world outside of the Mainland.

The ethnic Chinese population has reached 4.5% of the total population, and almost 54% of Indonesia’s Buddhist population are ethnic Chinese.

NTD, Jakarta, Indonesia.