Tan Joe Hok assails discrimination<\/p>\n
Muninggar Saraswati and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Tan Joe Hok, a former Indonesian badminton hero, readily
\nacknowledges that he is a Chinese-Indonesian, but deep down in
\nhis heart he feels more like an person of Sundanese descent.<\/p>\n
Born and raised in the small town of Rancaekek, just outside
\nthe West Java capital of Bandung, he considers Indonesia his
\nhomeland.<\/p>\n
The 65-year-old Tan, who uses his Chinese name, made a name
\nfor himself as a badminton star when he won the men's team Thomas
\nCup for the first time in 1958 and help defend the cup two more
\ntimes thereafter. He also was one of the first Chinese-
\nIndonesians to receive high medals of honor from the Indonesian
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Despite being Chinese-Indonesian, he says he does not speak
\nhis ancestral language and so he began a Mandarin language course
\na few months ago.<\/p>\n
\"Instead of Chinese, I speak Sundanese daily with my family
\nmembers,\" he says. \"I also speak Dutch, English and Spanish but
\nnot Mandarin.\"<\/p>\n
With his unique background, Tan hopes to serve as a bridge to
\nimprove communication between Chinese-Indonesians and other
\nethnic groups for a more united, discrimination-free Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I think it was stupid that our government once banned its
\npeople from learning Chinese language. Now most (international)
\nbusinesses and companies are looking to China,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The freedom to learn and speak one's mother tongue, regardless
\nof ethnic group, is not the only goal of his fight for a
\ndiscrimination-free Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Tan often speaks eloquently about the structural, state-
\nsponsored discrimination against millions of Indonesians of
\nChinese descent.<\/p>\n
\"Structural discrimination is definitely against basic human
\nrights,\" he asserts.<\/p>\n
Tan has experienced such discrimination directly, despite his
\nstatus as a national hero.<\/p>\n
In the early 1970s when he and his family returned to
\nIndonesia after living and working abroad since the 1960s, they
\nwere in for a rude awakening.<\/p>\n
He studied chemistry and biology in the United States after he
\nhad won the Thomas Cup three times, as well as All England and
\nAsian Games medals. He later worked as a badminton coach in
\nMexico and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
During the brutal anti-Chinese Soeharto regime, the government
\nrequired all Chinese-Indonesians to have a \"K1\", a document which
\ngives provisional Indonesian citizenship to anyone of Chinese
\ndescent, regardless of where one was born.<\/p>\n
He had to struggle with bureaucracy and other \"official\"
\nhurdles just to get the documents for he and his wife Goei Kiok
\nNio, whom he married in 1965. Goei was a member of the Indonesia
\nwomen's team for the Uber Cup between 1962 and 1965.<\/p>\n
He was amazed when several schools here rejected his young
\ndaughter Mariana and son Didi Kartanegara just because they did
\nnot have completed K1 and SBKRI (the Republic of Indonesia
\nCitizenship Certificate) to \"prove\" their Indonesian citizenship.<\/p>\n
\"I once came home and was greeted like a hero; people cheered
\nme on (for his victory). But, I had to take my children from
\ncourt to court to get their SBKRI. We had to queue in countless
\noffices to get documents required for Chinese-Indonesians,\" he
\nrecalls bitterly.<\/p>\n
Tan found the discrimination sickening. The policy did not
\nexist when he left Indonesia, while the country was still
\ngoverned by president Sukarno.<\/p>\n
\"The SBKRI is discriminative! Without it, Chinese-Indonesians
\nmay not go to school, do business or even marry someone legally,\"
\nlamented Tan.<\/p>\n
He has forgiven to some extent, the New Order regime, but
\nstill wants the current government to change all the
\ndiscriminatory laws still on the books and being used.<\/p>\n
\"Let bygones be bygones. But please, address the issue. What
\nwe need is political will from the leaders,\" said Tan, who was
\nborn on Aug. 11, 1937.<\/p>\n
Soeharto actually issued in 1996, a decree proclaiming SBKRI
\nno longer necessary. His successor, B.J. Habibie, strengthened it
\nby issuing a decree barring racial discrimination.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid revoked several other
\ndecrees issued by the New Order government which were oppressive
\nand racist toward Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
\"Senior officials may say that SBKRI is no longer needed but
\nthe policy does not apply in reality,\" Tan said, referring to the
\ncorrupt, racist civil servants and officials who still demand it,
\nin defiance of the law, Constitution and human rights.<\/p>\n
Despite the discrimination, Tan still serves his country. He
\ncoached the Indonesian badminton team that brought home the
\nThomas Cup championship trophy in 1984. Among his trainees were
\nchampions Ardy B. Wiranata, Hendrawan and badminton
\nplayer-turned-body builder Ade Rai.<\/p>\n
He became even more irate over the racism following the May
\n1998 rioting, where mobs destroyed property belonging to Chinese-
\nIndonesians and gang-rapped and murdered well over 100 Chinese
\ngirls.<\/p>\n
\"Why does Indonesia always have ethnic conflicts? This country
\nwas designed to be multi-ethnic. Indonesia is declining now, and
\nit can only be rebuilt with a multi-ethnic spirit,\" Tan asserted.<\/p>\n
Following his wife's death on Feb. 1, 1998, Tan lives in a
\nquiet house in upscale housing complex in Central Jakarta with
\nhis daughter Mariana, who is now an interior design consultant.<\/p>\n
\"This house is a gift from Pak Ali Sadikin (former Jakarta
\ngovernor) for my achievements 30 years ago,\" Tan said.<\/p>\n
He believes that a person, particularly at his age, must live
\nhis life in a healthy way.<\/p>\n
\"It will do everything to prevent mental decline. People may
\nhave younger looks, but you can't deny mental aging,\" said Tan,
\nwho regularly reads books -- mostly science -- and follows news
\nfrom the internet, newspapers, radio and TV.<\/p>\n
He attributes his youthful looks to his regular routine of
\nbadminton, fitness exercises and his preference for healthy food.<\/p>\n
\"My chronological age is 66 but my biological age is between
\n40 to 45,\" he says, proudly.<\/p>\n
In his spare time, he listens to classical music or plays with
\nhis two Rotweillers.<\/p>\n
\"I only want to live as a healthy old man,\" says Tan, who does
\nnot celebrate the Chinese New Year in any special way because \"I
\ncelebrate it everyday\".<\/p>\n
As a world-class athlete, he is still involved in the
\ncountry's badminton program. He is one of the advisers for the
\nnational badminton association. Tan says he often helps design
\nstrategy for the Indonesian badminton team.<\/p>\n
Now one of the deans of national badminton, he was angry when
\ntop current shuttler Hendrawan faced so many difficulties in
\ngetting his citizenship certificate before heading to China for
\nthe Thomas Cup tournament last year.<\/p>\n
\"I understand his feelings. A shuttler would never be able to
\ngive his best performance in a game if he has a troubled mind,\"
\nhe says.<\/p>\n
He also lamented that fact, that while Gus Dur repealed many
\nlaws, including the SKBRI, several Chinese-Indonesian shuttlers
\nare also in the same boat, and not yet considered full citizens
\n-- do not have the document -- even though they fight and
\nstruggle on the badminton court for this country's glory.<\/p>\n
Despite his relative contentment now, Tan will still strive to
\nsee Indonesia become a country free of the ugly racism that
\nhaunts it to this day.<\/p>\n
He recalls a time when he met three Singaporean police
\nofficers of different races -- Chinese, Malay and Indian -- when
\nhe was strolling along the famed Orchard Road.<\/p>\n
\"I was quite curious, so I deliberately bumped the Malay
\nofficer and asked him 'How is it that you are Malay, yet have
\nstill become a police officer?'\"<\/p>\n
\"The officer replied proudly that he was not Malay, but a
\nSingaporean.\"<\/p>\n
Tan said he repeated the same question to the Chinese and
\nIndian officers and received the same answer.<\/p>\n
\"I am looking forward to a day when we (Indonesians) all are
\nreally united like that. I hope this will happen before I die,\"
\nasserts Tan.<\/p>",
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