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Chinese commemorate Imlek with message of brotherhood
Werddhi Budaya Art Center in east Denpasar turned into a mini China town Sunday night, with red ornaments and paper lanterns lining the path to an open stage in the compound's center
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Werddhi Budaya Art Center in east Denpasar turned into a mini China town Sunday night, with red ornaments and paper lanterns lining the path to an open stage in the compound's center.
The Chinese ambience was further enhanced by female visitors dressed in red Cheong-Sam (traditional Chinese dresses)-style outfits.
Their appearance might have been Chinese but the women spoke Indonesian with thick Balinese accents. Only once in a while could we hear voices spoken in Mandarin.
Sunday was the Imlek (Chinese New Year) 2559 brotherhood night, honed by the Chinese Indonesian Association (INTI). Head of INTI, Rahman Hakim, said the aim was to commemorate multiculturalism and pluralism.
"We usually commemorate Imlek only with our families, but now we celebrate Imlek openly. It has become a party for all communities," he said.
The event was attended by Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha, Bali Police Chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Purwoko, Bali Legislative Council Speaker Ida Bagus Putu Weswana, several community and religious leaders along with hundreds of ethnic Chinese Bali residents.
Rachman said Imlek should be a time for introspection as well as for joyous celebrations.
He said earlier that day the association planted 10,000 trees across Bali in the hope they would preserve nature's balance.
Dewa Beratha asked the Balinese people to maintain their harmonious relationship with all non-Balinese ethnic groups and religions, including Chinese-Indonesians.
"People of Bali should spread love and eliminate all the things that can ruin the social harmony in Bali," he said.
Secretary of the Bali chapter of INTI, Sudiarta Indrajaya, said the Chinese in Bali hardly ever felt any discrimination.
"I don't mean to underestimate the pressure felt by the Chinese in other regions, but Balinese Chinese have experienced peace and comfortable living on this island even during the New Order regime," he said.
He added that Balinese had accepted pluralisms long ago because Balinese abide by the concept of Menyama Braya (brotherhood).
Endang Sulistyawati, a Udayana University professor of Chinese descent, saod discrimination experienced by Chinese in Bali was not as strong as that suffered by Chinese in Java.
"The traditions of Chinese people, who are mostly Buddhists, and the Hindu Balinese are quite similar, therefore we feel a familiar closeness to Balinese culture," she said.
The night sky was later set ablaze with a colorful fireworks display. The event also featured a traditional Balinese dance, Puspanjali, poetry reading and singing by a prominent Balinese poet of Chinese-descent, Tan Lioe Ie, and dancing by Qian Shou Guan Yin (thousand hands of Guan Yin Goddess).
The arts depicted the role of Chinese people in the country's struggle to gain its independence.
The event closed with a joint-prayer session that saw four religious leaders, all of different religions - Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic and Islam - leading the prayer together on stage. For one brief moment, all participants bowed their heads and knew no difference from each other.
