On term for ethnic Chinese

On term for ethnic Chinese

From Media Indonesia

Suhento Liaw's recent article published in Media Indonesia on
the terms of reference for the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia is
nothing new, as the controversy emerged as far back as the 1920s.

One of the books on ethnic Chinese affairs, written by Yunus
Yahya (The Diary of an Indonesian Citizen), is relevant here. The
book revealed the presence of a gentlemen's agreement between the
nationalist movement and the so-called Chinese-Malay press
between 1920 and 1930.

Owing to press support of Indonesian nationalists, the
movement agreed to use the term Tionghoa to refer to Chinese-
Indonesians, which was more acceptable than the term "China" or
"Cina". This is the background of the word Tionghoa, which has
since been frequently used by leading national press
publications.

Therefore, this era of reform should serve as the momentum for
the authorities to regulate terminology to avoid confusion and
bring about national harmony.

DARMAWAN SUTJIPTO, Jakarta