Chinese struggle in Indonesia

Chinese struggle in Indonesia

I trust that many Chinese struggled before the country's
independence and continued to do so after independence. Sumarsono
Sastrowardoyo's letter (May 30) was very biased and is the result
of narrow-minded thinking.

His controversial thoughts have been responded to and denied
in a number of letters. However, there was one conclusion that
was omitted in the protests. He said that the ethnic Chinese were
never involved in the independence struggle of this country. He
even clearly stated that most Chinese ran away or worked for the
Dutch government. He only saw one side of the "coin of truth"
without trying to look at the matter from a different perspective
to enable him to assess it in a balanced way. I can also easily
say that there were many puppet kings, regents, officials and
soldiers working for the colonialists. They were indigenous
Indonesians. Many among them were willing to torture and to kill
their fellow citizens only for the sake of power and money. The
concept of crime and goodness is not based on ethnicity, religion
or race, but goes back to man himself.

In 1909 China (under puppet emperor Pu Yi) decreed that all
overseas Chinese were Chinese citizens. This led the Dutch
government to state that all overseas Chinese in Indonesia were
Dutch subjects. This caused the opposition of many Chinese. They
orientated themselves toward China, especially after Dr. Sun Yat
Sen became president. Chinese nationalism had repercussions in
Indonesia and received support from Indonesian national figures.
Sukarno once said to Tjoe Bou San (chief editor of Sin Po daily)
that he was more highly appreciative of the Chinese who had
adopted Chinese nationalism and supported the movement for
Indonesia's independence, without paying attention to danger,
than those who wanted to become Indonesians for the sole purpose
of profit.

However, since 1925 a Chinese movement started in support of
Indonesia's independence. Liem Koen Hian (member of the
Indonesian delegation to the Renville conference), Kwee Hing
Tjiat (assimilation proponent), Kwee Kek Beng (successor to Tjoe
Bou San as Sin Po's chief editor) and Kwee Tek Hoay (promoter of
Tridharma, i.e. Chinese religio-ethical principles: Taoism,
Confucianism and Buddhism) were just a few among the Chinese who
supported the struggle for Indonesia's independence at the time.

They launched many heroic actions. Many Chinese journalists
criticized the policies of the colonial government (like the
detention and the hearing of struggle figures). Sin Po took the
courage to publish Indonesia Raya (the national anthem) for the
first time 12 days after the Youth Pledge. Liem Koen Hian and a
number of Chinese traders were said to have smuggled arms into
the territory of the Republic (after the declaration in 1945) in
the interests of the independence struggle. The prominent Chinese
figures at the time were also interested in joining the
Indonesian parties. One of the Parindra leaders, Dr. Soetomo
(national hero), fought for Chinese membership in his party, but
his endeavor failed because many party members opposed the idea,
maybe due to deep-rooted suspicion.

The contribution of the ethnic Chinese to the nation and the
state, both before and after independence, is not insignificant.
It would be very wicked for certain people to have a biased
opinion and to say that all Chinese living in this country were
only interested in making profit. Dr. Tjipto Mangunkusumo (a
national hero who had a close relationship with a number of
Chinese prominent figures) had the idea of the establishment of
an Indonesian Nation consisting of people who considered
Indonesia as their fatherland and were active in developing it.
The indigenous people, Dutch-Indonesians, ethnic Chinese, ethnic
Arabs would be its supportive components. His idea is worth
reflecting.

Do not let racists and fundamentalists obstruct the process of
establishing a state that provides justice, protection and
welfare for every citizen without differentiating ethnicity,
religion, race and grouping.

BUDI SETIAWAN

Jakarta