Traces Of Gus Dur: President Who Is In Charge Of Returning The Gempita Lunar New Year

Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), who served as President of Indonesia from 1999-2001. (ANTARA)

Negative sentiment towards ethnic Chinese is not new in Indonesia. Suharto and the New Order (Orba) have done it. Ethnic Chinese is considered the bearer of Communist ideology. A forbidden understanding in Indonesia. As a result, the New Order prohibits ethnic Chinese ethnicity from holding Chinese New Year celebrations in public.

The policy lasted a long time. No one dared to break it down. Protests did not have the guts. However, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) changed everything. The 4th President of Indonesia allowed the Chinese New Year celebration to return.

The September 30th Movement (G30S) in 1965 has a big influence on Indonesian history. The heinous incident of kidnapping and the murder of the Indonesian Army general was like opening the eyes of all Indonesian people that communism was dangerous.

Communism is considered to have threatened the existence of a government. Communism is also seen as a dangerous understanding that will use all means to be able to sit on the lap of power. This condition made Suharto, who is in control of the government, immediately take a stand.

He tried to clear up the influence of communism in Indonesia. The cleansing of sympathizers and cadres of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was carried out. A move that sparked controversy. The PKI was dissolved. Communism became a forbidden understanding in Indonesia.

As a result, the governments of Suharto and New Order became all allergic to communism. Hate for communism has spread everywhere. Ethnic Chinese who were born and grew up in Indonesia were also affected by the sap. They are considered identical to communism.

The reason is because China is the place where communism grows axially. As a result, the New Order considers ethnic Chinese and all of its descendants to have potential dangers. Suharto, who at that time was still a Presidential Officer, issued Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 14 of 1967 concerning Religion of Trust, and Chinese Istiadat Customs.

The Presidential Instruction has important points to ban all kinds of Chinese ethnic celebrations on a large scale, including the celebration of the Chinese New Year (Imlek). No more lion dances. No more Chinese script use. There are also Chinese songs on radio stations.

First, without reducing guarantees of freedom to embrace religion and fulfill their worship, Chinese worship procedures that have cultural aspects centered on their ancestral countries, their implementation must be carried out internally in family or individual relations. Second, Chinese religious party celebrations and customs are carried out in an unwarranted manner in public, but are carried out in a family environment.

"Third, the determination of religious and religious categories and beliefs as well as the implementation of Chinese religious methods, beliefs and customs are regulated by the Minister of Religion after hearing the considerations of the Attorney General (PAKEM). Fourth, the security and control of the implementation of this main wisdom is regulated by the Minister of Home Affairs together with the Attorney General. Fifth, this instruction comes into effect on the day it was enacted, "written in Presidential Instruction No. 14 of 1967 which was ratified on December 6, 1967.

The prohibition on Chinese New Year celebrations clearly injures the hearts of ethnic Chinese. However, Suharto and New Order's orders are difficult to change. They say they must be obeyed. Anyone who violates, will surely get severe punishment.

The new change can be felt when Gus Dur starts taking the baton of Indonesian leaders. President Gus Dur views ethnic Chinese as having received discrimination from a long time ago. This condition made him think about immediately implementing the philosophy: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

Gus Dur immediately revoked the rules that emphasized that Chinese New Year and other prohibited celebrations could now be carried out in public on January 17, 2000. The regulation was confirmed by the issuance of Presidential Decree (Kepres) Number 6 of 2000.

The regulation invalidates the New Order era Presidential Instruction. This means that all ethnic Chinese in Indonesia are free to carry out Chinese New Year celebrations in public. Gus Dur also made the Chinese New Year celebration a special day, a national holiday. The decision made Gus Dur considered a big contribution to the Chinese.

This privilege confirms that those who were born of Chinese descent are considered Indonesians. Not others. Gus Dur considers the term Bumiputra and nonbumiputra no longer relevant. All Indonesians. Have the same rights. Have the same capacity. That is the essence of diversity which is Indonesia's strength.

During Gus Dur's presidency, Konghucu was recognized as a religion and Imiek became a national holiday. He was the first president and cleric to apologize for the anticommunist violence in 1965. He also returned the name of Papua, which during the New Order was referred to as Irian Jaya, and did not prohibit the raising of the Morning Star flag belonging to the Papuan people," Wahyu Muryadi concluded in his writing in Tempo Magazine entitled The Breaker From Tebuireng (2010).