T

he Setara Institute announced on Monday that this year'€™s elections had reduced the number of violations against religious minorities, as people channeled their religious prejudices into the democratic process instead.

Ismail Hasani, a researcher at the Setara Institute, said the institute'€™s study had found 60 violations against religious minorities in 17 provinces from January until June.

The violations included intimidation and discrimination toward certain religious groups, prohibition of religious activities and rejections of the establishment of houses of worship.

'€œThe number is half of the 122 violations recorded last year, or 120 violations in 2012 [within the same period],'€ Ismail told reporters.

The study used human rights parameters as stipulated in Law No. 12/2005 on the ratification of the United Nations'€™ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.

However, Ismail explained that the lower figure was not the result of a better performance by the government or law enforcers; it was purely due to the legislative and presidential elections, which forced certain groups to behave themselves so as to improve the image of their chosen candidate.

'€œA number of hard-line groups, which were affiliated with a certain political party or candidate, restrained themselves from acting against religious freedom,'€ he said.

He added that religious groups'€™ political affiliations to the presidential candidates also came into play during the election, with religious-based smear campaigns being created to influence voters.

Commenting on Setara'€™s findings, Djayadi Hanan, a researcher with Saiful Muljani Research and Consulting, said that this year'€™s presidential election carried more obvious religious overtones compared to previous elections.

The reason for this, he added, was due to there being only two candidate pairs competing in a very tight race.

'€œIn such a tense race, sensitive issues, including religion, were exploited as much as possible,'€ Djayadi told The Jakarta Post, adding that the politicization of religion was one of the most basic and easiest ways to gain votes.

Even though the General Elections Commission (KPU) prohibits the use of tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups (SARA) in political campaigns, the recent presidential election saw religious issues exploited not only to gain votes but also to vilify rival candidates.

Setara Institute vice chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the new government should prioritize religious tolerance and pluralism, adding that the current administration had failed to follow up on cases in which people'€™s religious freedom was violated, such as assaults against Ahmadis and the protracted dispute over the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) in Bogor, West Java.

'€œWe hope Jokowi [Joko Widodo] and Jusuf Kalla will keep their promises to the minorities. They could start by appointing the right person as religious affairs minister'€ he said.

According to Bonar, the new religious affairs minister should be a moderate; someone who was aware of this country'€™s diversity and who was willing to talk with representatives from all religions and beliefs.

'€œThe new minister must put an end to the GKI Yasmin dispute, and allow all displaced Shiites to return to their homes [in Sampang] as well as resolve several other cases,'€ he said. (idb)