De-traditionalization propels Chinese success

De-traditionalization propels Chinese success

JAKARTA (JP): The formidable economic success of the ethnic
Chinese here took place after the minority group discarded its
wasteful, inefficient traditions, according to prominent
historian Onghokham.

Onghokham, a scholar of Chinese descent, said in a lecture at
the Jakarta Arts Center, Taman Ismail Marzuki, on Wednesday that
the long-history of "de-traditionalization" as well as the
establishment of "anti-China" policies have propelled the ethnic
group's ever-growing capitalism.

Attended by some 100 people, the lecture on the ethnic group's
history changed course into an examination of factors which
helped the ethnic Chinese here become economic giants.

A participant, Maj. Gen. Maulani, for instance, identified at
least three characteristics of the ethnic group which played a
role in its economic success. These characteristics are high
entrepreneurship, a strong "survival mechanism", and the
inclination to take shelter beneath the shadow of those in power.

The discussion also examined the problem of prejudice against
the ethnic group which "indigenous" people in the society have
not been able to eliminate.

"Compared to other ethnic groups, the Chinese are the most
rapid in abandoning their traditions," Onghokham said.

"The process caused a loss of identity for the group, but also
enabled it to concentrate its resources on other beneficial
objectives, such as capital accumulation or education for their
children," he said.

The process of de-traditionalization "liberated" the ethnic
group from observing numerous social obligations, in the form of
traditional ceremonies, which were often expensive.

The rush of Christianization, the replacement of extended
families by nuclear ones, as well as the subsequent fading of the
cult of senior family members, further allowed the ethnic group
to focus its attention on "secular" goals, he said.

"Chinese families used to bury the dead along with some
valuables, and turn their graves of their seniors into altars,"
Onghokham said. "Now, they opt to cremate the dead, thus doing
away with the complicated ceremonies."

The process was further accelerated by "anti-Chinese"
policies, including the prohibition of Chinese characters, plays
and other forms of Chinese culture, he said.

According to the 61-year-old former staff lecturer at the
University of Indonesia, the "de-traditionalization" began some
50 years ago, when the archipelago was still under the Dutch
colonial administration.

Explosive

The question of Chinese ethnicity and their economic supremacy
over the so-called "indigenous" peoples is among several
"explosive" issues here, particularly when it is connected to the
sharp gaps which exist between economic groups.

Large-scale businesses, many of whom are owned by Indonesians
of Chinese descent, control more economic resources than the
majority small-scale businesses. During Wednesday's discussion,
one participant pointed out that one businessman alone, Ciputra,
controls more than 6,000 hectares of land on Java Island.

Onghokham believed that local political structures played a
part in creating the social and economic gaps. "Perhaps the
system needs the establishment of minority groups who control the
economy in order to maintain the status quo," he said.

Problems such as collusion between large-scale entrepreneurs
and government officials have only exacerbated the situation.
Prominent scholar Dr. Dawam Rahardjo warned late last year that
the economic and social gaps between the indigenous people and
citizens of Chinese origin have now reached a critical point.

Resentment against the ethnic's economic dominance surfaced in
the Sumatran city of Medan in April when a labor demonstration
turned into attacks against ethnic Chinese and their property.
One entrepreneur of Chinese descent was killed during the riot.

Following the riot, Jakarta's deputy governor Idroes was
reported to have planned to launch a census to determine the
city's ethnic Chinese population.

Claiming that the activity was not related to the riot in
Medan, Idroes said the six-month census sought to determine the
number of ethnic Chinese who had registered with the government.

Idroes said 27,590 Chinese had registered in Jakarta, but that
some who had lived in the city for decades had not.

Ethnic Chinese make up some 5 million out of the total
Indonesian population of 185 million. Around 4.7 million are
already citizens, while the remaining 300,000 are still aliens,
namely nationals of the People's Republic of China or Taiwan.

Split

During the 300 years of Dutch colonial rule, with its "divide
and conquer" policy, Indonesia's population was split into
several groups.

Europeans and the so-called Foreign Orientals, mostly Chinese,
were deemed the better groups, while the indigenous Indonesians
were considered inferior.

Contacts between the groups were handicapped by cultural as
well as religious differences. While the majority of indigenous
Indonesians were Moslems, the ethnic Chinese were mostly
followers of Buddhism, Confucianism or Taoism.

Experts have considered the factors to be most influential in
sowing prejudice among indigenous people against the ethnic
Chinese.

"If people could be more tolerant, and relax their attitudes
about the elements of Chinese and other foreign cultures, then
perhaps the national unity could be realized more naturally,"
Onghokham said.

The historian also said that prejudice against the ethnic
group may persist unless the middle class in society obtains more
institutionalized political roles. "If (the political machinery)
rests only with the bureaucracy, I'm afraid the problems will
remain unresolved," he said. (swe)