Chinese puppets perform once more

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): The audience members, most of them of Chinese descent, were moved to tears. It was understandable -- they were watching a rare performance of Wayang Po Tay Hie (Chinese puppetry) at Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center in Jakarta.

The puppet master, 68-year-old Teguh Chandra Irawan alias Thio Tiono Gie, performed the tale of a riot in Tay Tong Tiauw Kingdom, somewhere in the land of China.

The story enthralled many of those in the audience, like Susanah, who moved from Semarang to Jakarta 20 years ago.

"When I was a child, I used to watch this wayang performance in front of a Chinese temple in my hometown in Semarang," said Susanah, 70, who saw her last performance of wayang Po Tay Hie in 1964.

Like many other Chinese cultural performances, the puppetry was banned by the New Order government.

Founded around 3,000 years ago in mainland China, Wayang Po Tay Hie is believed to have been brought to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The performances, which are usually in Mandarin or Malay, are based on Chinese mythology and legends.

An expert on oral traditions, Pudentia MPSS, said there are many other Chinese cultural activities which once flourished in Indonesia but have vanished.

"Wayang Po Tay Hie is only one example of dozens or maybe hundreds of art forms which have strong Chinese cultural influences," explained Pudentia.

She said Chinese cultural influences were still evident in various areas of the country.

In Jakarta, Cokek (a folk dance accompanied by a local orchestra), Tanjidor, Lenong (traditional drama) and the Topeng Betawi (mask dance) are heavily influenced by Chinese art elements.

In Sumatra, there is the Mak Yong in Riau. The culture of the Dayak tribe in Kalimantan also shows Chinese influences. In Bali, there is Barong dance (lion dance) and Drama Gong.

"It is a pity that people only know and promote the Barongsai, lion dance, while other art forms are in danger of disappearing," said Pudentia.

She noted Indonesia's geographical position at the crossroads between China and India. It is little wonder that the influence of Indian and Chinese cultures has been prominent in the development of literature, fine arts, textile and architectural designs and performing arts.

A noted researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Ninuk Kleden Probonegoro, said the banning of Chinese cultural activities in the past was a big mistake and defeated the stated purpose of assimilation.

"Culture could be used as a tool for Chinese-Indonesians to interact socially with the local culture and its people, which in turn would also lessen the likelihood of any possible conflict," said Ninuk, an expert on Betawi culture.

In the past, many ethnic Chinese were patrons of the arts and cultural activities.

"Cokek was developed among Chinese landlords in Jakarta and surrounding areas," she explained.

In Central Java, Chinese entrepreneurs are also involved in fostering Wayang Orang, the traditional Javanese drama, and in batik manufacturing.

The famous Wayang Orang troupe in Surakarta was founded in the 1890s by an ethnic Chinese businessman. The company, now under the name Sriwedari, still performs in the amusement park in Surakarta.

University of Indonesia professor of anthropology and folklore expert James Dananjaya acknowledged that Chinese-Indonesians were culturally and politically marginalized by the New Order regime.

He said the ethnic Chinese suffered from "autohypnotized amnesia", a mental condition in which people deliberately eliminate their self-identities.

"For 32 years, Indonesians of Chinese descent were haunted by the fear of revealing their origins because of the severe political condition," said James, himself of Chinese descent.

The government intentionally created social and cultural barriers between the ethnic Chinese and the indigenous population, he added.

James, who is a noted Javanologist and expert in Balinese culture, said the New Order was responsible for creating the wide economic gap between Chinese-Indonesians and the indigenous people.

The Chinese were restricted to the economic field because the New Order systematically prevented them from entering other sectors like the civil service and military, he added.

Film directors Teguh Karya, the late Wim Umboh and playwright Nano Riantiarno are among the few who nurtured their professional careers in the cultural sphere.

The majority of Chinese-Indonesians are now trapped in stereotyped professions as bankers, traders and doctors, he said.

When he was appointed a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, James recounted that many professors and members of the faculty were doubtful about his commitment because he was of Chinese descent.

"I told them that my father was a scholar and priest, my youngest brother is in the Navy and my older brother is a music teacher. Nobody in our family is in business," said James.

He said it was wrong to presume that all Chinese-Indonesians were rich and behaved ignorantly through ostentatious displays of their wealth. He said public stereotypes were based on figures like tycoon Lim Sioe Liong, banker James Riady and notorious criminal Edi Tansil, who escaped from jail while serving a sentence for corruption.

Many Chinese-Indonesians are poor, he said.

Thousands of residents living on the outskirts of Jakarta like Tangerang, west of Jakarta, Sawangan to the south of Jakarta and Cilincing in North Jakarta are of Chinese origin and live in poverty, he added.

"Many Betawi (indigenous Jakartans) are actually Hitachi, which stands for Hitam tapi Cina (brown-skinned Chinese), or Cina Benteng, because of their assimilation with the locals, " explained James.

Assimilation

Assimilation and interaction between the Chinese and the locals made easier through cultural and traditional activities.

James said an example was the celebration of the Lunar New Year (Imlek), which previously functioned as a forum for silaturahmi, or a social gathering among Chinese families and their neighbors.

"The celebration of Imlek is rich in philosophical and social values," said James.

The Chinese New Year was an annual event when the Chinese and the pribumi (native Indonesians) mingled in a joyous atmosphere.

On the new year's eve, there were many cultural performances like Barongsai (lion dance), tanjidor (a mix of Betawi and Chinese orchestra), cokek, martial arts and a mask dance festival.

Glittering firecrackers and circus performances also highlighted the celebration, James remembered.

Ibnu, an Acehnese, recalled childhood memories of the event.

"In the 1950s, everybody in town -- Chinese families, Betawi people, members of the Arabic and Indian communities-- would flock to Glodok and Harmony in downtown Jakarta to attend this merry event, especially during Cap Go Meh, the celebration 15 days after the new year," he said.

For the young, it was a time for affairs of the heart.

"A Javanese boy might meet and fall in love with a Chinese girl. It was very common at that time."

He said nobody should be worried that the celebration would cause Indonesians to lose their cultural roots.

"The Chinese people who were born in Indonesia always refer to themselves as Indonesians, not Chinese, because it is their country," he said.

But James said Chinese-Indonesians should continue this year to celebrate the new year in a modest way. The government has already opened a channel for greater freedom, but the ethnic Chinese must be sensitive to their compatriots still suffering in the economic crisis.

"Don't show off and hurt your local brothers," James warned.