Observers: Economic motives behind riots<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers agreed on Monday that unrest and
\nhatred of Chinese-Indonesians was rooted in economic gaps rather
\nthan racial and religious differences.<\/p>\n
The observers also told a seminar on assimilation that
\nviolations in business ethics by some Chinese-Indonesians, and
\nthe privileges accorded them by Soeharto's New Order regime, were
\nthe dominant factors in social disputes between the community and
\nindigenous Indonesians.<\/p>\n
According to a National Institute of Sciences' senior
\nresearcher, Thee Kian Wie, "It's huge economic gaps, not
\nreligious, ethnic and cultural differences, that have been behind
\nthe disputes."<\/p>\n
"Although there are very wealthy native Indonesians and very
\npoor Chinese-Indonesians, the latter community is, in general,
\nliving in better conditions than the first," he said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Indigenous Businessmen Association's chairman,
\nSuryo B. Sulistiyo, said the gap existed because of nontechnical
\nfactors such as collusion, corruption and nepotistic practices in
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
"It's the domination of the Chinese-Indonesians in business
\nthat is the root of the disputes," Suryo said at the seminar,
\nwhich was opened by the Ministry of Defense secretary-general Lt.
\nGen. Soeyono. "No disputes would have occurred had there been
\nequal distribution in economics."<\/p>\n
A. B. Susanto, a Chinese-Indonesian consultant on human
\nresources development, agreed that violations of business ethics
\nby a few Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneurs were behind the
\nstrained relation between the two communities.<\/p>\n
Politician Ridwan Saidi said the Chinese-Indonesians' "black"
\npolitical record added to the hatred among the indigenous people.<\/p>\n
"The activities of some Chinese-Indonesians affiliated with
\nthe (now-banned) Indonesian Communist Party in the early 1960s
\nhad brought negative impacts on the whole Chinese-Indonesian
\ncommunity, which are still felt now," said Ridwan, who now chairs
\nthe New Masjumi Party.<\/p>\n
Junus Jahja, who chairs the Institute for Research on
\nAssimilation, suggested that Chinese-Indonesians improve their
\nrelations with their native brethren.<\/p>\n
"It will be wonderful if every Chinese-Indonesian can have at
\nleast 10 close indigenous Indonesian friends," he told seminar
\nparticipants.<\/p>\n
Junus, however, said people should not dismiss the success of
\nyears of effort to assimilate six million Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
"If compared with Chinese-Malaysians, almost all of the
\nChinese-Indonesians can speak and write Bahasa Indonesia," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"Only a small number of young Chinese-Indonesians now still
\nhave strong orientation for their homeland China, while most are
\nIndonesia-oriented," he said. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/observers-economic-motives-behind-riots-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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