JAKARTA, INDONESIA, May 21, 2015 (Coconuts Jakarta): There are only six religions officially recognized by the Indonesian government: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Indonesian citizens had to put one of those six religions on their ID cards (KTP), regardless of their actual beliefs. Until now, that is. Yesterday, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo announced that faiths outside of the aforementioned six, must be allowed onto ID cards.
Tjahjo said one of the main reason for changing the rule was so that authorities would know what funerary rites needed to be observed and respected when a person died. Tjahjo said it was for that reason that it was important for the government to know exactly what religion each person believes in. While it appears to be mainly an administrative move rather than a philosophical change of heart by the government, it is still a big step forward in the name of religious freedom for Indonesians of all faiths.