Chinese-Indonesians want their role recognized
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The struggle of Chinese-Indonesians to revive their national identity will succeed only if the country acknowledges their contributions in development and gives them full rein to develop any sector, including politics, a seminar concluded on Saturday.
Titled The Roles of Chinese-Indonesians in Indonesia's History, the discussion underlined the fact that, for centuries, Indonesians of Chinese descent had been labeled as a community that had economic power but had made no contributions to the country's history.
The absence of such a recognition, especially in history books and history courses, has created a misperception about this community, including the impression that the Chinese-Indonesian community was comprised of giant conglomerates.
"The fact is, conglomerates constitute only a small part of the community while most of us are in the low to middle classes of society," said Benny G. Setiono, chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the Tionghoa Indonesia Association (Inti).
Most speakers and participants in the seminar organized by Suara Pembaruan daily were Chinese-Indonesians.
Asvi Warman Adam, researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), said that Chinese-Indonesians had contributed much in developing the country since the colonial era. The community, he said, introduced several skills and techniques in areas such as agriculture, naval construction, trade, and culinary arts.
Siauw Tiong Djin, chairman of the Committee Against Racism in Indonesia, said that Chinese-Indonesians had also rebelled against the Dutch colonial administration by establishing the first educational foundation in 1900, in Jakarta.
Chinese-Indonesians also established the Sin Tit Po daily, The Sun daily, and the Sin Po daily, all of which often printed articles written by national heroes Soekarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Tjipto Mangunkusumo.
Siauw added that politicians such as Liem Koen Hian and Yap Tjwan Bing were members of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI), which established the political foundation of Indonesia.
Politicians like Tan Ling Dji, Tjoa Sik Ien, Oei Gee Hwat, and Siauw Giok Tjhan also joined Amir Sjarifuddin and Sjahrir in the Indonesian Socialist Party and made several contributions to the 1946 Citizenship Law, which allowed foreigners born in Indonesia to acquire Indonesian citizenship.
"So, why don't we Indonesians appreciate the Chinese- Indonesians in our history by putting them in the history books?" Siauw said.
Siauw added that the inclusion of Chinese-Indonesians into history books would also help the country address those problems faced by the community.
"Chinese-Indonesians cannot be separated from Indonesia. Their problem is a national problem and should be addressed by all Indonesians," he said. The government has repealed a number of laws deemed discriminatory against Chinese-Indonesians, but many more are still in place.
Asvi, however, reminded that it took five or ten years for the public to change their perception about Chinese-Indonesians because the community's image had been planted during the New Order regime.
Siauw urged the young generation of Chinese decent to be actively involved in any activities that could eliminate discrimination against them.
He also said that Chinese-Indonesians should enter top levels of government such as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and should also become involved at the grass-roots level, such as in non-governmental organizations or social organizations.
"By entering into politics, Chinese-Indonesians can gain significant bargaining power in the nation's decision-making process and put an end to racial discrimination in policy," Siauw said.