Chinese-Indonesians can be heroes too

Chinese-Indonesians can be heroes too

From Media Indonesia

Recent reports have announced a number of people who have been
accorded national hero status. In this context, I have written a
book on ethnic Chinese idealists in Indonesia, which was
published by Gramedia in 2003.

Among the idealists, Lie Eng Hok (1893-1961) was the one sent
into exile in Boven Digoel for five years (1927-1932) by Dutch
colonizers.

He was one of the ten ethnic Chinese leaders, who opposed the
Dutch, which led to his exile. The Indonesian government in 1959
declared him a freedom pioneer and when he died, Lie was buried
in Semarang's Giri Tunggal heroes cemetery.

Metro TV's Chinese language program, Metro Xin Wen, aired
Lie's biography and interviewed his family members in 2003. Lie
learned independence aspirations from WR Supratman, composer of
the national anthem and his peer at the Chinese-Malay paper Sin
Po.

H. JUNUS JAHJA
Jakarta