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)