Treating ethnic Chinese equally (2)

Treating ethnic Chinese equally (2)

By Amir Sidharta

This is the second of two articles on the ethnic Chinese
minority.

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie and prominent leaders
Amien Rais, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Abdurrachman Wahid are
trying to restore the confidence of the Chinese-Indonesians.

Amien, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, asked
Indonesian Moslems to accommodate the Chinese so that they could
continue coexisting peacefully in the country.

Recently, religious leaders and democracy advocate Megawati
met at Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrachman Wahid's residence in
South Jakarta. They called the mid-May racial riots "despicable
and barbaric acts" and called for an independent investigation
into the incident. President Habibie even went to the Chinatown,
Glodok, which was worst hit by the rioting, and asked Chinese
store owners to remain in Indonesia and start once again their
businesses.

The appearance of these prominent politicians sent a powerful
message: that although the riots and violence against the Chinese
did occur last May, Indonesians were indeed not racists. The
rioting in Jakarta and Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, was
apparently provoked by a well-organized group, just like the
riots that happened previously in other parts of the country.

Amien, speaking to 2,000 Chinese descendants in Surakarta last
month, said the riots were indeed masterminded. The following
day, Habibie ordered the Armed Forces to conduct a full
investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, efforts toward a common understanding between
Chinese-Indonesians and pribumi (indigenous Indonesians) have
also been under way.

Last month, Enin Supriyanto and a group of concerned
individuals from the Indonesian Youth Committee against Racial
Discrimination formed a working program called Solidaritas Nusa-
Bangsa (Homeland-Nation Solidarity), aimed at fighting racial
discrimination, especially against the ethnic Chinese community.

Their mission is to fight for the establishment of a legal
system which guarantees the rights of minorities, especially
those of the Chinese minority, and to raise awareness in all
levels of society regarding the significance of the rights to
fraternity, equality and human values.

The group plans to carry out the evacuation of riot victims,
to accompany them and provide first-stage legal protection. Then
it will carry out a class action suit against the government, and
finally campaign for the introduction of antirace discrimination
legislation.

The group has received a positive response from the lower-
income Chinese receiving its help and from middle- and upper-
middle income pribumi.

Other groups, consisting of individuals of mixed racial
extractions, have expressed sympathy to the sufferings of the
Chinese-Indonesians who became riot victims during the struggle
for political reform.

Despite the thoroughness of Solidaritas Nusa-Bangsa's action
plan, there is a lot to be done before the Chinese-Indonesians
are accepted as an integral part of the nation.

Two political parties concerning the Chinese were also formed
recently. Partai Reformasi Tionghoa Indonesia (Parti, the
Chinese-Indonesian Party) was formed on June 5, while Partai
Pembauran Indonesia (Perpindo, the Indonesian Assimilation Party)
was formed on June 10 by H. Junus Jahja, a Chinese Moslem who is
also a member of the Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals Advisory Council.

The establishment of Parti was meant to bridge the gap between
pribumi and Chinese-Indonesian citizens. Although the name of the
party directly reflects its racial basis, the party's concern is
to "achieve an independent, sovereign, harmonious, just and
peaceful community within the Republic of Indonesia, based on the
Pancasila state ideology".

When establishing Perpindo, Junus Jahja stated that people
should not worry that there would be confronting polarization due
to differences of interests.

"If not through parties, the community will not realize that
the issue of assimilation is a serious matter," he said. "The
function of the party would be proven in practice, and eventually
there will be a process of national selection among the existing
parties."

The momentum of reform should be utilized toward assimilation
and nation building. "We all have to get down to carry out the
Youth Pledge (on one nation, one country and one language --
Indonesia) and nation building, so that there will be no hoodlums
or riffraff controlling the process of this assimilation," Junus
said.

Talking at a symposium in Bandung, West Java, Amien Rais said
that the emergence of Parti would enrich the nation's political
dynamics. The existence of the political party will hopefully
contribute to the abolition of sentiment against Chinese in
Indonesia.

In effect, the emergence of the two political parties should
be considered as a positive step toward a greater awareness about
the political rights of Indonesian citizens of Chinese descent.
The founding of the two parties is also proof that the Chinese-
Indonesians still do have their dream to be an integral part of
the nation.

Ultimately, the essence of the problem of racial
discrimination in Indonesia is the existence of polarization
between pribumi and Indonesians of Chinese descent.

The 1945 Constitution's chapter 6 determines that the
President of the Republic of Indonesia is an indigenous
Indonesian. It is unlikely that Chinese-Indonesians would push
for the removal of this clause from the Constitution, as it seems
unlikely that any Chinese-Indonesian is eager, at this time, to
become president. However, it seems that this clause plays a
central role in the indigenous and nonindigenous polarization and
the discrimination toward the Chinese.

Yet, this clause no longer seems very important as long as it
does not pertain to Chinese heritage. In an open forum with
editors of Indonesian media, President Habibie mentioned that he
might be of Arabic descent, and this was not turned into an issue
by the general public nor the mass media. Perhaps it would be
different story if the President had mentioned that he was of
Chinese descent.

In many cases, history has shown that the notion of
maintaining the purity of an indigenous race breeds racial
discrimination. The idea of a superior Aryan race was the basis
of the emergence of the Nazis. To maintain the purity of their
race, the Serbians practice ethnic cleansing toward the Bosnians
by killing the men and raping and also killing their women.

Indonesia hopefully has no intention of preserving the purity
of its race. Even since elementary school, Indonesians have
learned that the people of Indonesia have originated from Yunnan,
south of China. The formation of Indonesia as a nation has been
primarily based on the very diversity of its peoples. Bhinneka
Tunggal Ika is how we say Unity in Diversity, and this diversity
should also include the Chinese-Indonesians.

Now is the time for Indonesians to remind ourselves that the
essence of freedom is the equality of rights. Before all men and
women are considered truly equal, the nation will not flourish in
ethnic diversity and inclusiveness.

The writer is an art gallery manager.

Window: The formation of Indonesia as a nation has been primarily
based on the very diversity of its peoples. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
is how we say Unity in Diversity, and this diversity should also
include the Chinese-Indonesians.