3 - Pri and Non-Pri Relations in the Reform Era: A Pribumi Perspective

Summary

This chapter examines ethnic relations — particularly Chinese and non-Chinese relations — in Indonesia from the pribumi(pri) perspective. It begins with the changing attitude of the indigenous Indonesians towards the Chinese Indonesians following the May 1998 tragedy, from one of rejection to tolerance, if not acceptance as equals. It also examines priand non-prirelations prior to the May riot as well as the factors that contributed to the tragedy. It further addresses the deeply seated prejudice of the pribumiagainst Chinese Indonesians and the challenges faced by the ethnic Chinese after the May tragedy. The conclusion points out that in the midst of the unfinished process of reform, the possibility of the recurrence of a similar tragedy cannot be ruled out.

Pribumi's New Attitudes towards

the Chinese and Chinese Culture

There have been many changes, including in ethnic relationships, in Indonesia since the fall of Soeharto in May 1998. However, the changes in ethnic relationships come with opposing underlying feelings between the people involved. On the one hand, we see a tendency towards tolerance of differences; on the other hand, there is intolerance. This is illustrated in the paragraphs that follow.

While in Kalimantan the Dayaks and the Madurese are killing each other, in Ambon and Poso the Christians and the Muslims are destroying each other, public (read: pribumi) tolerance to ethnic Chinese, Chinese culture, and Chineseness in general seems to have re-emerged. Nowadays, any occasion seems incomplete without the Barongsayperformance or the Chinese lion dance show. In fact, several political parties used the lion dance in their political campaigns for the 1999 general elections. Radio and TV stations play Mandarin songs, while every evening almost all TV stations broadcast sinetron(electronic cinema or TV drama) from Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. Meteor Garden, a TV serial about love among young people is very popular not only among ethnic Chinese teenagers but also among the pribumi.