Imlek 2570: National Unity and Security

A couple prays while visitors climb the steps of Liong Hok Bio Temple on Friday (2/1/2019) in Magelang, Central Java. The temple has seen an influx of visitors who have come to see its preparations for Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 5.

Since the middle of January, the attributes and decorations of Imlek (Chinese New Year) have been appearing everywhere, especially in malls. Chinese New Year 2570 will fall on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019 to usher in the Year of the Pig.

When compared to other holidays that celebrate the heralding of a new year, Chinese New Year is indeed unique and inclusive. Besides being celebrated for 15 days, Chinese New Year is also celebrated by all Chinese around the world.

Initially, Chinese New Year, or Sin Tjia, was an agricultural celebration that typically fell on the first day of the first month of a new year. The celebration was also connected to the spring festival that started on the 30th of the 12th month and ended on the 15th of the first month of the following year. Because of its rural origins, many of its decorations derived from agricultural products, such as citrus fruits and kue keranjang (literally “basket cake”, a kind of sticky rice cake).

Not a religious celebration

Initially, Chinese New Year did not celebrate a particular religion, and was an ancienttradition among Chinese farmers to welcome spring. However, given that there were many Taoists, Confucians and Buddhists in ancient China, Chinese New Year came to have a religious nuance. For Confucians, for example, Chinese New Year came to mark the birth year of Confucius, or Kongzi, a moral philosopher.

Meanwhile, the connection between Chinese New Year and Buddhism developed after Buddhism spread in China during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-221 AD) under King Han Ming Ti. At first, Buddhism was only adopted by those of royal lineage, and then spread among commoners. Buddhists still maintain their traditional culture, at times mixed with ancient beliefs like Taoism and Confucianism. Chinese Christians and Muslims do not celebrate Chinese New Year as a religious holiday.

Therefore, Chinese New Year is clearly not an exclusive holiday, nor does it belong to a particular religion or a group of people. Chinese New Year is a communal day of celebration for the Chinese people, and is even open to anyone who wants to join in the revelry.

This spirit of openness for all is exactly the same as the philosophy of all temples in the country, including Kwan Sing Bio temple in Tuban, East Java. Anyone who wants to visit or stay there is welcomed with open arms. The temple is so open to its surroundings that it even has local statues that are not part of the Chinese tradition. C. Salmon and Lombard studied 115 deities in temples across Java and found at least 23 that come from Javanese or Sundanese civilizations.

This is in accordance with the principle of Yin and Yang, for maintaining lasting harmony with all parties. Harmony does not mean eliminating differences, and instead means protecting them, even celebrating them if need be. Much evidence that date before 1965 indicate that Chinese New Year involved various

tribes across the country. In Jakarta, Singkawang, Pontianak, Surabaya, Malang and other places, the nation’s children united to rejoice in celebrating Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year is a celebration of togetherness.

However, togetherness cannot exist without freedom, including the freedom to celebrate Chinese New Year. During the 32 years of the New Order, the freedom to celebrate Chinese New Year almost nonexistent. The New Order had carried out a cultural purge against the ethnic Chinese, and the millennial generation needs to know this: never forget history.

Hopefully, such an era of darkness will remain a part of the past. During his presidency, Habibie took the initiative to open the future for the ethnic Chinese as an integral part of Indonesia by issuing Presidential Instruction No. 26/1998 to eliminate the terms "pribumi” (indigenous) and "nonpribumi” (non-indigenous). When he was president, K.H. Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid issued Presidential Instruction No. 6/2000, which revoked Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 that Soeharto issued and forbade anything Chinese to be celebrated in public, including Chinese religions, beliefs and customs, including Chinese New Year. Then finally, Megawati issued Presidential Decree No. 19/2002 that declared Chinese New Year as a national holiday starting in 2003.

Security of the nation

However, concerns have again appeared as the political situation heats up today. Even the seasonal rains seem unable to cool the situation. The presidential election, which is currently in its campaign period, is actually a celebration of democracy. However, it is not a joyful celebration that we are experiencing. The election campaign has instead seemed to trap us with worries.

Just look at the undignified ways that are being used. Spreading curses, blasphemy and hoaxes seems to be the norm. Even religion, which should be glorified, has been degraded as a political tool. The presidential candidate we support is the main measure, and we are immediately filled with hatred against people who choose differently than us. It turns out that we have not matured as a democracy.

Anger and hate speech are circulating, especially on social media. There seems to be an attempt to win the presidential election on April 17, 2019 by using any and all unethical means.

Let us recall again our founding fathers and heroes that struggled to establish this country with their sweat, blood and lives. They wanted us, with all our various ethnicities and religions, to live in true harmony, peace and happiness as brothers in our home, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

From the very beginning, the plans of our founding fathers never excluded a particular group or ethnicity. It is no wonder then, that Chinese descendants were always involved since the 1928 Youth Oath, since our independence in 1945. In the end, Chinese-Indonesians were officially declared an integral part of this nation through the ratification of Law No. 12/2006 on Citizenship. So, the recent reemergence of anti-Chinese sentiment seems to be an attempt to turn back the clock.

We are of course concerned as to why the identity politics of SARA (ethnic, religious, racial and intergroup) issues has again grown stronger ahead of the 2019 presidential election.

It an only be hoped that Chinese New Year 2019 can be a moment for us all to refresh our memories of the history of national harmony that we have traveled. Let us eliminate all prejudices and disputes and pray for the nation’s salvation. Hopefully, this Chinese New Year will bring more enthusiasm and positive energy to prevent our Indonesian home from the threat of destruction.

The legislative and presidential elections are only a mechanism for selecting our leaders. Therefore, this instrument of democracy should not damage what we have achieved together as a nation, nor should it demolish the structure of NKRI, our shared home. (Tom Saptaatmaja, Alumnus, Widya Sasana School of Theology, Malang, and St Vincent de Paul Seminary)