Chinese-Indonesian 'power' myths blasted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers blasted on Monday myths about Chinese-
\nIndonesians as a creation of corrupt government officials to
\nserve their interests and drive a wedge between the ethnic group
\nand the rest of the population.<\/p>\n
Political economic observer Faisal Basri of the University of
\nIndonesia said the resentment-provoking remark that \"Chinese-
\nIndonesians make up 3 percent of the population but control 70
\npercent of the economy\" was misleading and served nothing but to
\nfurther the interests of corrupt officials.<\/p>\n
In a discussion at the University of Indonesia, Faisal cited
\nthe practice of \"political franchising\" during the New Order era,
\nwhereby some Chinese-Indonesian businesspeople became the fronts
\nfor businesses controlled by those in power.<\/p>\n
Being in the forefront made the collusive businesspeople --
\nand the whole Chinese community -- the target of public
\nresentment. For the backers, being behind the scenes did not
\nnecessarily mean they profited less than the front people.<\/p>\n
He cited a giant flour company owned by tycoon Liem Sioe Liong
\nwhich had to allocate 26 percent of its net profit to a
\nfoundation linked to the Army.<\/p>\n
\"It's a patron-client kind of relationship,\" Faisal said.<\/p>\n
Such ties between businesses and the power holders were
\nrampant under Soeharto's New Order regime, he said.<\/p>\n
\"From (former president) Soeharto to governors regents (as
\npatrons) ... almost all have their own clients.\"<\/p>\n
Chinese-Indonesians were the favorite choice for the rulers
\nsimply because they were \"obedient\" and politically weak compared
\nto \"indigenous\" businessmen, Faisal said.<\/p>\n
So, he argued, the statement \"3 percent of the population
\ncontrolled almost 70 percent of the economy\" was made up.<\/p>\n
The discussion, held by the university's School of Letters,
\nwas titled Ethnic Chinese as a Minority in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Also speaking were National University of Singapore's
\nassociate professor Leo Suryadinata and sociologist Thung Ju Lan
\nof the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Sinologist A.
\nDahana of the University of Indonesia led the discussion.<\/p>\n
Population<\/p>\n
On the population of the Chinese-Indonesians, Leo -- who wrote
\na number of books on the community -- said it was around six to
\neight million or 3 percent to 4 percent of the total population
\nof 202 million.<\/p>\n
However, the last accurate statistical data on the Chinese
\npopulation in Indonesia was compiled in 1930.<\/p>\n
According to Leo, the Chinese-Indonesians comprised 2.3
\npercent of the total population at the time.<\/p>\n
Leo also said the \"minority\" was not really a minority because
\nChinese-Indonesians could be the third largest ethnic group after
\nthe dominant Javanese and Sundanese.<\/p>\n
In an article published by The Jakarta Post on Aug. 14,
\nsociologist George J. Aditjondro also slammed the cliche that
\n\"the Chinese constitute only 3.5 percent of the population but
\ncontrol 70 percent of Indonesia's economy\" as a myth.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I have been able to investigate, this myth
\noriginates from a passage in the 1995 study of Michael Backman,
\nan executive officer with the East Asia Analytical Unit of the
\nAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra,\"
\nwrote George, who teaches the sociology of corruption at the
\nUniversity of Newcastle in Australia.<\/p>\n
George quoted Backman's study, Overseas Chinese Business
\nNetworks in Asia, that says: \"Sino-Indonesians control
\napproximately 73 percent of listed firms by market
\ncapitalization. At the end of 1993, Sino-Indonesians (who
\nconstitute just 3.5 percent of all Indonesians) controlled 68
\npercent of the top 300 conglomerates and nine of the top 10
\nprivate-sector groups.\"<\/p>\n
However, George said many people had forgotten to read the
\nfootnote which explained what was meant by \"market
\ncapitalization\". It states that: \"Control by market
\ncapitalization has been determined after listed firms controlled
\nby governments or foreigners are discounted.\" (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chinese-indonesian-power-myths-blasted-1447893297",
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