Ban on celebration of 'Imlek' still effective

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has so far issued no new regulations governing Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in the capital, meaning that the government's ban on the Imlek festival is still effective, an official said on Monday.

Tongam Tambunan, a senior executive of the city public order office, said that his office had so far received no single instruction from Governor Sutiyoso on whether or not the Jakarta authorities would allow the ethnic Chinese to celebrate the once- a-year fiesta in line with the massive reform movement.

"Therefore, we'll stick to the existing regulation," he said.

"But it's for certain that we won't prohibit those who want to pray at temples," Tongam added quickly.

"We will not ban people from performing their religious rituals," he insisted.

For years the administration has banned the Imlek celebration on the basis of 1967 Presidential Instruction No. 14 on Chinese religion and beliefs, and a letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

According to the instruction, the Chinese New Year is not a Buddhist holiday and may not be celebrated at Buddhist temples.

Buddhism is one of several religions that have been officially recognized by the government, while Confucianism has not yet been given the official stamp. Thus, many Chinese-Indonesians have had to choose Buddhism as their religion against their better wishes.

But Tongam believed that the prohibition, which is still effective, will not stop the Imlek revelers celebrating the Lunar New Year, which falls on Tuesday.

"We hope that they'll adjust to the recent situation," he said, referring to the series of riots, looting and arson that affected mostly Chinese properties.

He said he strongly believed that the Chinese-Indonesians must show self-awareness and not hold big parties for Imlek this year "as the country is still suffering many kinds of crisis and unrest or riots based on ethnic and trivial issues could easily erupt" at any time any day.

As if aware of the still unfavorable situation, the ethnic Chinese here on Monday made no special preparation for the celebration as seen at many Buddhist temples in the city.

A number of Buddhist temples erected along Jl. Lautze in Central Jakarta even closed their gates.

According to the temples' leaders and elders, the Imlek this year will be celebrated in a modest fashion.

Hidayat, 60, elder of Vihara Buddhayana, said that for the sake of security the temple leaders had decided not to hold the annual Imlek midnight prayer and would not place and light the hundreds of gigantic red candles as usual.

"The temple will be closed at 6 p.m. and will be reopened at 6 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday). People won't see hundreds of big candles which light the temple at midnight.

"Actually we regret the decision because the candle lights are a symbol of a bright future, but security is more important than that," he said.

Hidayat said that the temple's congregation have also been urged not to wear extravagant clothes and accessories in celebrating the festival.

The elder said that other temples at Petak Sembilan in Kota and Mangga Besar in West Jakarta are also applying the same conditions.

Mujihartoyo, elder of the Tri Ratna temple in Gang Tepekong, said his temple would light a number of small candles during the celebration. (ind)