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