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fundamental principle that religious tolerance is the very foundation
upon which the unity of the people of Indonesia rests. The notion of
majority and minority does not exist in Indonesia and this is reflected
both in the Constitution and in daily life. Indonesia is quite fortunate
in that it is endowed with a spirit of religious tolerance which is
deeply rooted in the cultural life of its heterogeneous people.
Therefore it is only natural that the newly-born State of Indonesia,
which was proclaimed in 1945, has crystallized this strong and
refined culture into a basic religious policy which fully respects and
guarantees freedom of religion and belief. This policy is transparently
stipulated in the Pancasila (five basic principles), the state
philosophy, the Indonesian Constitution of 1945 and other relevant
national regulations.
Pancasila, the philosophical basis of the Indonesian State,
comprising five inseparable and interrelated principles, avouches the
principle of Belief in the One and Only God as its very first principle.
According to this principle, all different religions and faiths in
Indonesia are to be centred around one fundamental credo: Belief in God
Almighty, the One, Supreme God. The main thrust of this principle is
that every human being in Indonesia, no matter from which religious
denomination or faith he or she may be, shall respect all other religions
and beliefs, for the sake of harmony, tolerance and peace. Equally
important is the fact that freedom of religion and belief shall be
guaranteed and promoted by the Government. This principle is
further reinforced by the 1945 Constitution, especially article 29,
paragraph 2, which firmly stipulates that ’the State shall guarantee
the freedom of every citizen to adhere to his respective religion and
to perform his religious duties in conformity with that religion and
that faith’.
Although the basic principles respecting and guaranteeing the
freedom of religion and belief are not charted in detail in the
Constitution, the People and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia
are proud of the fact that the spirit of religious tolerance that has
proved crucial in unifying the different religions and beliefs in
Indonesia is to be incorporated in the Declaration on the Elimination
of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion
or Belief adopted some years after the Constitution of 1945 came into
being.
The Government has taken the necessary administrative and judicial
measures to translate those principles contained in the State philosophy
and the 1945 Constitution into reality within the framework of the
Guidelines of State Policy formulated every five years. As is set down
in the 1993-1998 Guidelines of State Policy, one of the main objectives
of development in the religious sector is to improve the quality of the
moral and religious life of the Indonesian people and community with a
view to creating harmony, tolerance and balance in human life just as
individuals must strive to achieve them in their relationship with
society, the environment and God.