May Memorial 2003 program held yearly by CCEVI in
remembering the victims of the planned mass murder, massacre
and rape in Jakarta, Indonesia during May of 1998. Eric Li,
CCEVI Vice-President opened the session, welcomed and thanked
the media, and some Canadian politicians who were attending.
Dr. Tshai, being at his age and with his status, it would
be much easier for him if he just does what he loves most,
fishing. However, there is a calling, a following of his
conscience that he cannot just sit idle because nothing good
will come from sitting idle, when he observes what is going on
in his beloved country. He therefore stepped up and agreed to
become the chairperson (ketua pusat) of Partai Perjuangan
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Indonesia, PPBTI. (Striving for Unity in
Diversity Party,an English translation we at CCEVI proposed it
to be used). He also shared what happened when he was still
with PDI Perjuangan, the party of President Megawati and PDIP
won the election including at Bogor.
Somehow, suddenly, his name was no longer in the list of
the party delegates to the Indonesian parliament (MPR) even
though Frans Tshai was the number one in the list previously.
This made him determined that he could not just be 'a
passenger in a bus', a term he used metaphorically to describe
his feeling when he was still with PDIP, but rather be his own
'driver'.
He described the difficulties living in Indonesia at
present, especially if one is of Chinese heritage. There are
still more than 35 rules and laws that basically discriminate
the ethnic Chinese even though they are Indonesian citizens
that should have equal rights as other Indonesian people. That
was the reason he chose the name Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Unity
in Diversity as the name for his party. At every opportunity,
he kept on stressing that the Chinese in Indonesia are not
'hoa kiauw' (Chinese overseas) but citizen of the country that
should have full right. Yet, because of the brainwashing in
the last 30 years or so, Chinese are told that they are only
good as business persons, people of trade. Politic became a
scary thing for the ethnic Chinese. They avoided anything to
do with politic as if it that word means immorality. This is
another one thing that he keeps on stressing these days that
politic could be a moral or noble thing to do, to embrace.
Unless you want or let other people control your destiny, you
have to be involved in politics.
He knew that it will not be easy to lead his party
considering the chaotic situation in Indonesia. The election
rules make it very hard to get a party into the election
platform. One of the rules, the party has to exist in 2/3 of
the Indonesian provinces, currently at 30. So PPBTI has to be
in 20 provinces. There are other rules involving number
requirement at the lower level and he sees those as one of his
challenges but possible to overcome, especially if he gets
enough support from the people and the Chinese Indonesian
leaders. His party has a motto of Unity in Diversity and thus
he is also recruiting and was successful in getting members
from the other ethnic Indonesians.
Before the end of the service, they also showed the photo
slides that were once shown during May 2001 Memorial Service
when Father Sandyawan was with us. The objective of seeing
those horrible and graphic pictures is only one: less we
forget.
The York Centre for Asian Research also co-sponsoring
'Seminar on the Chinese-Indonesian experience: local and
transnational perspective' CCEVI and YCAR, Professor Judith,
has worked close together since many years ago. They joined
effort in bringing Pak Pramoedya in 1999, Romo Sandyawan in
2001 and Dr. Siauw Tiong Djin last year. As a result of
working with the academia, our horizon has been expanded and
our feasibility increases.
That tragedy or rather pogrom triggered the founding of
CCEVI. is a registered non-profit organisation that is a
coalition of some local and national NGOs including
individuals not associated with any group. We work toward
eradicating injustices, especially ethnic discrimination in
Indonesia. We also work to better the lives of the oppressed
and poor people in the country, victims of violences or
abuses. The most discriminated group of them all is the
Chinese ethnic minority who has endured systemic oppression
for more than 40 years. (JH/IM)
