Chinese face modest 'Imlek' celebration
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
The ethnic Chinese population no longer faces political restrictions in celebrating Imlek (Chinese New Year), which falls on Feb. 12. However, plans for spectacular celebrations have this year been shelved due to the severe flooding that has hit Jakarta over the past two weeks.
Ernawati Sugondo of the Chinese Society acknowledged on Saturday that organizers has been forced to postpone celebrations scheduled for Feb. 24 in the Glodok area, West Jakarta, possibly until March.
The celebrations, to be jointly staged with the West Jakarta Mayoralty, are aimed at improving the level of understanding between the Chinese and other cultures here.
"The postponement is merely due to the floods. We have to be sympathetic toward flood victims," Ernawati said.
She announced that the Koko and Cici pageant for Chinese youths had also been postponed as some of the participants had been affected by the floods.
Vihara (temple) Dharma Sakti in Teluk Gong, North Jakarta, has also called off planned celebrations. Its lion and dragon puppets used in the Barongsay (lion dance) and Liong (dragon dance) performances were damaged by one-meter high floodwaters.
"The dancers' houses were also inundated, which meant they have been unable to practice for three weeks now," said Sugiyanto Krisnanto, a temple board member.
The temple, on Jl. Kemenangan III in Glodok, West Jakarta, has seen fewer visitors than normal in the lead up to this year's Imlek.
"Compared to last year, the number of visitors praying here this year has dropped due to the floods. Perhaps a lot of them think that the temple is still submerged," said a temple staff member, Suherman.
The temple was hit by one-meter high floodwaters that began to recede last Wednesday thanks to a water pump being operated in the area.
Imlek celebrations were banned during the 32-year New Order regime, which followed an alleged coup d'etat attempt by the Indonesia Communist Party in 1965. The party was accused of having close links with China.
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid granted the ethnic Chinese greater freedom to celebrate their culture during his tenure beginning in 1999.
This year, instead of preparing for the annual celebrations, some Chinese people are having to cope with the aftermath of the flooding.
"Chinese people are urged to celebrate Imlek modestly. Not only because most of us are flood victims but we shouldn't have a glamourous celebration when most people are suffering," said A Nio, a vendor in the Glodok area.