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.