Chinese New Year celebrations proceed peacefully nationwide
Chinese New Year celebrations proceed peacefully nationwide
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Celebrations for Chinese New Year, known locally as Imlek,
proceeded peacefully on Saturday in cities throughout the
country, with people marking the holiday by visiting temples and
watching barongsai (dragon dance) performances.
Chinese-Indonesians praised the government for declaring the
Chinese New Year a national holiday. However, they regretted that
numerous discriminatory legislations and regulations against
those of Chinese descent were still in place, particularly a
decree obliging Chinese-Indonesians to obtain a Republic of
Indonesia Citizenship Certificate (SBKRI).
On Saturday, Chinese communities in Jakarta expressed joy
during the festivities and prayed for the nation's unity and
people's prosperity.
"We are happy to be able to celebrate the Chinese New Year
after years of discrimination," said Muchtar, a priest at the Tri
Tunggal Temple on Jl. Dwiwarna in Central Jakarta.
Shopping malls in Jakarta put on a festive mood for the New
Year with red lanterns, colorful banners and other symbols
characteristic of the holiday. Many of the malls organized dragon
dances.
In Surakarta, where a racial conflict exploded in the early
1980s between Chinese-Indonesians and Javanese locals,
celebrations also went untroubled, Antara reported.
The holiday was marked with the exhibition of a giant cake.
The manager of the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI), Paulus
Pangka, said the cake had been added to the museum's collection
of records as the biggest one ever made in Indonesia.
Weighing 3.2 tons, the cake will be shared among people
attending the city's dragon dance performance, which is scheduled
for Wednesday.
The Chinese community in Banda-Aceh celebrated the New Year
amid improving security following a peace deal between the
government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Chinese-Indonesians in Banda-Aceh said they were happy for the
peace, which allowed them to celebrate the New Year.
Traditions held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year are
observed not only by followers of Confucianism, but all Chinese-
Indonesians, regardless of their religious or social background.
People in Bandar Lampung, the capital of Lampung, flocked to
the Thai Hin Bio temple to pray. Built in 1986, it is the oldest
temple in the city.
Coa Kee Soen, a priest at the temple, said celebrations would
last for 15 days. He said everyone of Chinese descent would
celebrate the event, and not only Buddhists.
Chinese-Indonesians in the regency of Belu, West Timor,
celebrated the New Year in modesty. They visited friends and
relatives to ask for their forgiveness and enjoy meals together.
The Chinese population in the regency stands at 1,000 and they
have mixed with the local community.
Jhon Atet, who was celebrating the New Year, said that the
holiday meant the recognition of the Chinese community. He added
that the government's move to declare it a national holiday would
strengthen national unity.
In the North Sulawesi capital of Manado, the celebration was
marked with heavy rain throughout Saturday. A Buddhist cleric at
Ban Hing Kiong Temple, Edgar Karundeng, said the rains augured a
sign of luck for this year.
Most shops belonging to those of Chinese descent in downtown
Manado were closed for the holiday.
Ko Han, a resident of Manado, thanked the government for
acknowledging the New Year and placing it among the other
national holidays. He said the decision had allowed him to enjoy
a special New Year's celebration this year.
In Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, which is home to
4,000 people of Chinese descent, people visited temples and
churches on Saturday to celebrate the New Year.
Candles standing two meters high were lit in the temples.
After praying at the temples, people visited the elder members
of their family. Children and teenagers usually receive angpao, a
red envelope that contains money, from elder family members.