Was Obama an Indonesian Citizen?

[mikesilvia]

Interesting article.

If you didn't know, Barack Obama's mother married an Indonesian man and move Obama to Indonesia for many years. There are documents that have him listed as "Muslim" and that his father-in-law may have gotten him an Indonesian citizenship and passport. I could care less about the Muslim part, but I do have concern that he may be an Indonesian citizen.

A 2007 Associated Press photograph taken by Tatan Syuflana, an Indonesian AP reporter and photographer, surfaced last week on the Daylife.com photographic website showing an image of Obama's registration card at Indonesia's Fransiskus Assisi school, a Catholic institution.

In the picture, Obama is registered under the name Barry Soetoro by his stepfather, Lolo Soetoro. The school card lists Barry Soetoro as a Indonesian citizen born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]Hawaii[/COLOR][/COLOR]. His religion is listed as Muslim.

Obama's American mother, Ann Dunham, separated from her first husband, Barack Obama Sr., in 1963 when the presidential candidate was two years old. Dunham and Obama Sr. are reported to have later divorced. Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian, and moved to Indonesia sometime between 1966 and 1967.


It was not clear whether Soetoro adopted Obama, either in Hawaii or in Indonesia, but there is strong circumstantial evidence that he did as far as Indonesian law was concerned.


In Indonesia, which was under tight rule in 1967, Obama clearly took on the last name of his stepfather in school registration documents. All Indonesian students were required to carry government identity cards, or Karty Tanda Pendudaks, which needed to bear the student's legal name, which should be matched in public school registration filings.


Following his enrollment at the private Assisi school, Obama attended public schooling in Indonesia until he returned to Hawaii at age 10. According to Indonesian legal experts, it was difficult to enroll non-Indonesian citizens in public schooling.


Obama arrived in Indonesia at about the age of five according to most accounts, although it was possible he arrived at the age of six, according to a few sources. If Lolo Soetoro adopted Obama at age five or younger, then Obama would automatically have become an Indonesian citizen according to the country's laws in the 1960's, which stipulated any child aged five or younger adopted by an Indonesian father is immediately granted Indonesian citizenship upon completion of the adoption process.
Lolo Soetoro could have adopted Obama in Hawaii, although such an adoption would not have necessarily been recognized by Indonesia.


Indonesian law at the time also did not recognize dual citizenship, meaning if Obama became Indonesian, then as far as that country was concerned, his U.S. citizenship was no longer recognized by Indonesia. But U.S. law would still recognize Obama as an American citizen.

Could the McCain campaign have proof? Or a newspaper waiting to drop this bombshell just before the election?

[tnopud42]

Another non-issue.

[mikesilvia]

Another non-issue.

Really? You do realize that if Obama is a citizen of another country many Americans will change their vote to McCain? That is a HUGE loyalty issue. Obama may be an Indonesian citizen, speaks to German citizens instead of US ones and visits his "homeland" in Kenya. I think his loyalties are clearly to the world and not the US.

Is everything about Obama an non-issue?

[chljoe]

I'm not sure what you are getting at with this. Would you mind elaborating further?

edit: nevermind, you did

[chljoe]

I don't know that I would stretch it to a loyalty issue. I mean he was in Indonesia as a child not an adult. If he moved there as a teen or young adult then maybe there would more to go on but to me it isn't as pertinent. I really don't mind that he wants to visit other countries for various reasons, I would agree about the speech in Germany rather than speaking to Americans.

[tnopud42]

I suppose I should ask - Is everything with Obama an issue? Seems to be. So you don't like Obama. I think that point has been made repeatedly by you to the point of overkill. You're not changing anyone's mind. In fact, if anything people are becoming more entrenched. There's very little discussion any more. It's simply become a tit for a tat.

[mikesilvia]

I suppose I should ask - Is everything with Obama an issue? Seems to be. So you don't like Obama. I think that point has been made repeatedly by you to the point of overkill. You're not changing anyone's mind. In fact, if anything people are becoming more entrenched. There's very little discussion any more. It's simply become a tit for a tat.

That is pretty presumptuous. You realize there are 18,000+ members on here. Many read and very few respond. How do you know people are not reading and changing their minds? I have gotten TONS of PMs stating thanking me for most of my posts. :)

What is always funny to me is people complaining that I post Anti-Obama threads. Like the other 18,000+ members are banned from posting anti-McCain threads. Also, complaining about threads in a political forum is like walking into the smoking area of an airport and complaining about the smoke. Everyone is free to start their own threads. I have a passion for political and will inform in the political forum. Obama supporters and others have the same option!

[Olivertoxxin]

I have never liked Obama from day one. I don't like McCain either to me they are both poor candidates for president.
But stuff like this will make people more aware of who they are gonna vote for.

I suppose I should ask - Is everything with Obama an issue? Seems to be. So you don't like Obama. I think that point has been made repeatedly by you to the point of overkill. You're not changing anyone's mind. In fact, if anything people are becoming more entrenched. There's very little discussion any more. It's simply become a tit for a tat.

[scottkoz20]

I don't know that I would stretch it to a loyalty issue. I mean he was in Indonesia as a child not an adult. If he moved there as a teen or young adult then maybe there would more to go on but to me it isn't as pertinent. I really don't mind that he wants to visit other countries for various reasons, I would agree about the speech in Germany rather than speaking to Americans.

but the problem would come into play is if he was an Indoesian Citizen, he would have lost his American Citizenship as dual citizenships are not recognized (this is what I remember from high school civics years ago).

Because of this, he would have to re-apply for citizenship, thus make him ineligible for the Presidency.

Do I have this right or am I wrong?

[chljoe]

I think his US citizenship is not compromised by this just under Indonesian law it is.