The Chinese Indonesians with long memories and escape plans in case racial violence flares again – despite signs of tensions easing
With Chinese former Jakarta governor in jail for insulting Islam, and less than 20 years after Asian economic crisis sparked deadly anti-Chinese riots, some families are taking no chances, with escape routes from country at the ready
Former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama celebrated the 20th anniversary of his marriage to Veronica Tan last month. He did so from behind bars, sending her a bouquet of flowers and a letter that read: “I think I love you more now than twenty years ago.”
Once a leader who enjoyed comfortable approval ratings, the ethnic Chinese, Christian politician was jailed in May after being found guilty of insulting Islam. His wife said at the time that “it isn’t easy for me either, but I’ve learned to forgive and accept all of this if it is for the benefit of the nation and the country”.
Purnama was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment just days before the 19th anniversary of an event widely referred to as Tragedi Mei ’98. Between May 13 and 15 in 1998, riots broke out amid economic crisis, in Jakarta, Medan, Solo and other cities with ethnic Chinese, or “Tionghoa”, populations, targeting shops and homes. More than 1,000 people were killed and more than 100 women were raped.
Months of religious and racially charged demonstrations against Purnama in late 2016 and early 2017 sparked fears of a return to violence.
“The situation has cooled down because Ahok is in jail. A lot of people are happy about that,” says Jessica Handoko, a Chinese Indonesian postgraduate student.
