Terms of reference for ethnic Chinese

Terms of reference 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