Written on 03 March 2023<\/p>\n
By: Wima Brahmantya<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\"Honestly, the Chinese view of Indonesia is \"massacre of ethnic Chinese\". Almost all Chinese people know that\".<\/p>\n
That's what Huang Li a.ka Tracy said. I'm not surprised, because I've read it on Quora. It's sad too, because it's as if we're labelled as the \"Chinese slaughtering nation\".<\/p>\n
As an Indonesian I felt obliged to explain to him what had actually happened. I think \"Chinese massacre\" is a bit of an exaggeration, it would be more appropriate to call it a \"riot\".<\/p>\n
The Nusantara's relationship with China is a long one, more than a thousand years old. In general it was a good relationship: trade, culture, and religion. Indeed, China once invaded Java, namely the Mongol army from the Yuan Dynasty, which was successfully repulsed by Raden Wijaya (whose tomb is in Blitar).<\/p>\n
\"Yes, but that was the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Not Chinese Han,\" said Tracy.<\/p>\n
Yes, that's why I said the relationship was generally good, until the Dutch Colonial era. That's where the Indigenous and Chinese began to be divided. They were divided into classes. The Dutch and other Europeans in the top class, the Chinese in the second class, and the Natives in the third class. In terms of business, the Dutch wanted to deal with the Chinese. Because of this policy, the Chinese felt privileged, and they enjoyed that status.<\/p>\n
Even so, the first \"Chinese massacre\" was actually carried out by the Dutch Colonial Government in the 1740 Angke Tragedy by Governor General Valckenier. Around 10,000 Chinese were massacred. After that many Chinese fled to Java, and later joined Prince Sambernyawa to fight the Dutch.<\/p>\n
The class division continued for two centuries, with Indigenous people subordinated to Chinese and Europeans. It's no wonder then that the policy fostered social jealousy in the hearts of the Indigenous people.<\/p>\n
After the Proclamation of Independence in 1945, Chinese attitudes were divided. Some of them supported the Republic of Indonesia, namely from the PITI group led by Liem Koen Hian. But others did not support the Republic, and even helped the Dutch. This was because they were worried that their shops would be looted by the natives, and they would lose their privileges as they had in colonial times.<\/p>\n
The pro-Dutch group even formed a security force called \"Po An Tui\". Its original mission was to protect Chinese-owned assets from looting, but it went too far in fighting the Republican Army. This is what made the Natives at the time hate the Chinese even more. Even though some Chinese people also fought for independence. Like the proverb \"because of a speck of indigo, the milk spoils the whole milk\".<\/p>\n
\"Well, from China's perspective, having your own army is not justified. We can't imagine the Uighurs or Tibetans having their own army,\" said Tracy.<\/p>\n
After the 1965 Gestapu, the Chinese suffered tremendous discrimination from the regime that repressed their identities, such as their names and holiday celebrations. The regime also froze diplomatic relations with China in 1967, in an attempt to eradicate communism from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"What? There is a Communist Party in Indonesia?\" she was shocked. Tracy had no idea that the PKI was once one of the biggest parties in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Then we come to the talk of the 1998 Riots, which is probably the moment highlighted by Chinese citizens. I don't think it needs to be discussed specifically, many of us already know, because the tragedy has not happened long ago.<\/p>\n
I had to explain to Tracy that the riots were not spontaneous. It was clearly planned by a group that wanted the Soeharto regime to fall, and as history has shown, the Chinese have always been easy targets.<\/p>\n
Then I told him how Abdurrahman Wahid a.ka Gus Dur rose to become President of Indonesia. He was the first and only president from among the ulama.<\/p>\n
\"Is it going to be harder for the Chinese in his time?\" asks Tracy.<\/p>\n
\"On the contrary. It was during Abdurrahman Wahid's time that the Chinese were restored to their status. Ethnic Chinese are considered part of the Indonesian nation, they may use Chinese names if they wish, and may celebrate Chinese New Year.\"<\/p>\n
After being shocked that Indonesia had a communist party, Tracy was again wide-eyed. Because in their mindset, religious leaders will tend to be fanatical, but here it can be a different story.<\/p>\n
\"So now you know that there is a long history of Chinese and Indigenous relations here. There is a cause and effect. And the culprit is always politics. But we are definitely not the 'Chinese slaughtering nation' that you think we are,\" I said.<\/p>\n
\"Then how is she now?\"<\/p>\n
\"You can see for yourself, we are generally fine. I am married to a Chinese person. In this company there are also some Chinese people and we can work together well without any discrimination...<\/p>\n
.. but I will not deny that discrimination still exists, and is practised by both parties. The hatred is also still there, and can get heated at any time during an election. But in general I think Chinese-Indigenous relations here are pretty good, certainly better than our neighbour Malaysia. Most Chinese here feel more Indonesian than their country of origin, although there are still racists.\"<\/p>\n
\"Thank you for the explanation. Apparently the story is not as understood in China. I guess I'll have to explain this back to the family there\".<\/p>\n
Closing from me: \"We cannot change the past. What has happened has happened. Now it depends on how we will build a life in the future...<\/p>\n
... what is certain is that both parties, both Indigenous and Chinese, must introspect themselves and realise that we have the same responsibility to advance this nation.\"<\/p>\n
\"Okay, now it's time for me to teach this Chinese-Javanese mulatto now,\" Tracy said as she greeted \"ni hao\" to the Nusantara guardian.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ditulis pada 03 Maret 2023 Oleh : Wima Brahmantya \u201cJujur aja, pandangan orang China tentang Indonesia adalah \u201cpembantaian etnis Tionghoa\u201d. Hampir semua orang China tahu itu\u201d. Begitulah Huang Li a.ka Tracy berkata. Saya ga kaget, karena udah pernah baca di Quora. Sedih juga, karena seolah-olah kita dicap sebagai \u201cbangsa pembantai Cina\u201d. Sebagai orang Indonesia saya merasa wajib menjelaskan kepada dia apa yang sebenarnya terjadi. Saya kira \u201cpembantaian Cina\u201d itu agak berlebihan, lebih tepat jika disebut sebagai \u201ckerusuhan\u201d. Hubungan Nusantara dengan Tiongkok adalah sejaran panjang, lebih dari seribu tahun. Secara umum itu adalah hubungan yang baik : perdagangan, budaya, dan agama. Memang sekali Tiongkok pernah menginvasi Jawa, yaitu tentara Mongol dari Dinasti Yuan, yang berhasil dipukul mundur oleh Raden Wijaya (yang makamnya ada di Blitar). \u201cYa, tapi itu kan Dinasti Yuan Mongol. Bukan Chinese Han\u201d, kata Tracy. Ya, makanya saya kan bilang secara umum hubungannya baik, sampai tiba era Kolonial Belanda. Di situlah mulainya Pribumi dan Tionghoa dipecah belah. Disekat menjadi kelas-kelas. Orang Belanda dan Eropa lain di kelas teratas, orang Tionghoa di kelas dua, dan Pribumi di kelas tiga. Dalam hal bisnis, orang Belanda maunya berurusan dengan orang Tionghoa. Karena kebijakan ini akhirnya orang Tionghoa pun merasa mendapat keistimewaan, dan mereka menikmati status itu. Pun demikian, \u201cpembantaian Cina\u201d pertama kali justru dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Kolonial Belanda pada Tragedi Angke 1740 oleh Gubernur Jenderal Valckenier. Sekitar 10.000 Tionghoa dibantai. Setelah itu banyak orang Tionghoa yang melarikan diri ke Jawa, dan kemudian bergabung dengan Pangeran Sambernyawa untuk melawan Belanda. Pembagian kelas itu berlanjut sampai dua abad, dengan orang Pribumi di bawah orang Tionghoa dan Eropa. Maka tidak heran jika kebijakan tersebut menumbuhkan kecemburuan sosial di hati orang Pribumi. Setelah Proklamasi Kemerdekaan 1945, sikap kaum Tionghoa terbelah. Sebagian dari mereka mendukung Republik Indonesia, yaitu dari golongan PITI yang dipimpin Liem Koen Hian. Tapi sebagiannya lagi tidak mendukung Republik, bahkan membantu Belanda. Ini karena mereka khawatir toko-toko mereka akan dijarah Pribumi, dan mereka akan kehilangan hak istimewanya seperti di masa Kolonial dulu. Kelompok pro-Belanda tersebut bahkan membentuk pasukan keamanan yang dinamai \u201cPo An Tui\u201d. Misi awalnya melindungi aset-aset milik Tionghoa dari penjarahan, tapi malah kebablasan ikut memerangi Tentara Republik. Ini yang membuat Pribumi pada saat itu semakin membenci Tionghoa. Padahal sebagian orang Tionghoa pun berjuang untuk kemerdekaan. Ibarat pepatah \u201ckarena nila setitik rusak susu sebelanga\u201d. \u201cWah, kalau dari perspektif China, punya tentara sendiri itu tidak dibenarkan. Kita tidak bisa membayangkan orang Uighur atau Tibet punya tentara sendiri\u201d, ujar Tracy. Pasca Gestapu 1965, kaum Tionghoa mengalami diskriminasi yang luar biasa dari Rezim Orba yang merepresi identitas mereka, seperti nama dan perayaan hari besar. Rezim Orba juga membekukan hubungan diplomatik dengan Tiongkok pada 1967, untuk mengenyahkan paham komunis dari Indonesia. \u201cWhat? Di Indonesia ada Partai Komunis?\u201d kaget dia. Tracy ternyata ga ngerti bahwa PKI pernah jadi salah satu partai terbesar di Indonesia. Lalu tibalah kita pada pembicaraan Kerusuhan 1998, yang barangkali momen inilah yang disorot oleh warga Tiongkok. Saya rasa tidak perlu dibahas secara khusus, banyak di antara kita yang udah pada tahu, karena tragedi tersebut belum lama terjadi. Harus saya jelaskan kepada Tracy bahwa kerusuhan yang terjadi saat itu tidak terjadi secara spontan. Jelas itu terencana oleh kelompok yang menginginkan Rezim Soeharto jatuh, dan seperti sejarah yang sudah-sudah, memang kaum Tionghoa selalu menjadi sasaran empuk. Lalu saya menceritakan bagaimana Abdurrahman Wahid a.ka Gus Dur naik menjadi Presiden RI. Dia adalah yang pertama dan satu-satunya presiden dari kalangan ulama. \u201cApakah nasib kaum Tionghoa semakin sulit di masa dia?\u201d tanya Tracy. \u201cSebaliknya. Justru di masa Abdurrahman Wahid lah kaum Tionghoa dipulihkan statusnya. Etnis Tionghoa dianggap sebagai bagian dari bangsa Indonesia, mereka boleh memakai nama Tionghoa jika mau, dan boleh merayakan Imlek\u201d. Setelah kaget di Indonesia pernah ada partai komunis, kali ini Tracy kembali terbelalak. Karena dalam mindset mereka, pemimpin religius akan cenderung fanatik, tapi di sini bisa lain ceritanya. \u201cJadi sekarang kamu tahu bahwa memang ada sejarah panjang hubungan Tionghoa dan Pribumi di sini. Ada sebab akibat. Dan biang keroknya selalu politik. Tapi jelas tidak semata-mata kami adalah \u2018bangsa pembantai Cina\u2019 seperti yang kalian pikir\u201d, kata saya. \u201cLalu bagaimana keadannya sekarang?\u201d \u201cKamu bisa lihat sendiri, secara umum kami baik-baik saja. Saya menikah dengan orang Tionghoa. Di perusahaan ini juga ada beberapa orang Tionghoa dan kita bisa bekerjasama dengan baik tanpa ada diskriminasi apa pun .. .. tapi saya tidak akan menutupi bahwa diskriminasi itu memang masih ada, dan dilakukan oleh kedua pihak. Kebencian juga masih ada, dan sewaktu-waktu bisa memanas apabila ada pemilu. Tapi secara umum menurut saya hubungan Tionghoa-Pribumi di sini cukup baik, yang pasti lebih baik dari tetangga kita Malaysia. Kebanyakan orang Tionghoa di sini lebih merasa sebagai orang Indonesia dibandingkan negeri asal usulnya, walaupun yang rasis juga masih ada.\u201d \u201cTerima kasih atas penjelasannya. Ternyata ceritanya tidak seperti yang dipahami di Tiongkok. Saya kira saya harus menjelaskan ini kembali ke keluarga di sana\u201d. Penutup dari saya : \u201cKita tidak bisa mengubah masa lalu. Yang sudah terjadi biarlah terjadi. Sekarang tergantung bagaimana kita akan membangun kehidupan di masa depan .. .. yang pasti kedua pihak, baik Pribumi maupun Tionghoa harus sama-sama introspeksi diri dan sadar bahwa kita punya tanggung jawab yang sama untuk memajukan bangsa ini.\u201d “Oke sekarang saatnya saya mengajar anak blasteran Tionghoa-Jawa ini sekarang” kata Tracy sambil menyapa “ni hao” pada si Jaga Nusantara.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meneer-notes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dekaranganjar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}