It is said that a dog is a man’s best friend. In affluent societies, dogs are kept as pets. Dogs and man have always enjoyed a close relationship. But when Chinese are compared to dogs, it gives rise to emotionally-charged responses.

　　Half a century ago, Chinese were disgraced by signs displayed outside some foreign clubs in China that said: "No entry to dogs and Chinese". The growing anger and sense of nationalism eventually drove foreign forces out of China. With the establishment of modern China, "the relationship between dogs and man", so to speak, returned to normal.

　　Not long ago, a parliamentarian was heard shouting at the top of his voice: "You are a dog! You are Cina!" in the Indonesian parliament.

　　"Cina" is a frequent label hurled by racists in Indonesia at Chinese Indonesians. This derogatory term was first used by the Japanese against the Chinese after its invasion of China.

　　When the "New Order" government of former president Suharto implemented a discriminatory policy against Chinese Indonesians in the 60s, the word "Cina" was used routinely to refer to them.

　　After the downfall of Suharto in May 1998, Chinese Indonesians have been urging the new government to put an end to the discrimination as well as the insulting term "Cina".

　　Last November, when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Jakarta, President Megawati replaced the word "Cina" with "Tionghua" - the way Chinese were addressed when her late father Sukarno ruled Indonesia. The move won her praises from Chinese Indonesians.

　　Unfortunately, the member of parliament who resorted to the abusive language mentioned earlier, is a member of President Megawati’s Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle. Worse still, his parliamentary colleague who was there to egg him on yelled to the media present to "report it with the headline: Cina are now daring enough to try to colonise Indonesia!"

　　The ethnic Chinese MP who was attacked belongs to an Islamic party. He does not know the Chinese language and hardly sees himself as a leader of the Chinese community. However, the harsh words grated on the ears of many empathetic Chinese Indonesians. Dozens of enraged Chinese community leaders gathered in Jakarta, wanting the MP to speak out against the unpleasant experience. But the MP chose to disappear from the public eye.

　　The anger expressed by Chinese community leaders is a clear sign that the community can no longer be bullied like it used to. During the "New Order" era, any Chinese Indonesian who spoke Mandarin openly in Jakarta would be viewed with hostility. In more serious cases, a jail term might well be the price to pay.

　　The anti-Chinese riots on the eve of the fall of Suharto saw countless mobsters looting and burning Chinese districts. The violence and lawlessness shocked the world. It was also the last straw for Chinese Indonesians who had always suffered in silence. They rose to join the unstoppable reform movement to overthrow the totalitarian regime. A new government was soon elected, giving Chinese culture in the archipelago a ray of hope.

　　Last October, in a pleasant surprise, the first-ever Chinese language qualifying test, or the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, which was held simultaneously in some Indonesian cities, attracted about 1,200 participants. More than 800 people also passed a course conducted jointly by China and Indonesia’s Education Ministry to train Chinese-language teachers.

　　Since the Indonesian Constitution stresses that the more than 200 ethnic groups are equal in status, there is no reason why they should not enjoy equal rights and benefits.

　　Associations and organisations of Chinese Indonesians which have sprouted across the country are now preparing to set up an umbrella body that can convey effectively to the government the aspirations of the Chinese community, and fight for the rights Chinese Indonesians deserve.

　　Chinese Indonesians have always been involved actively in the development of the country. The emergence of China as an economic powerhouse has created favourable conditions and there is no better time than now for Chinese Indonesians to lead the country out of the economic rut.

　　Any further biased or offensive action or words against them is tantamount to attempts to turn back the wheel of history and will not bode well for the future of Indonesia.

　　（The writer is Lianhe Zaobao's Jakarta correspondent. Translated by Yap Gee Poh）

　　狗是人类良伴，从古至今都和人类维持良好关系，而今富裕社会更有许多有闲有钱者养狗当宠物。可是，当狗和华人扯在一起，我们的情绪即刻变得复杂起来。

印尼华人佛教节日观看大游行。

　　半个世纪以前，当“狗和中国人禁止进入”的告示牌出现在中国一些外国俱乐部门口，中国人引以为耻，愤怒的民族情绪最终把外国盟军逐出中国；新中国成立后，“华人和狗”似乎恢复原有的单纯关系。

　　不久前，印尼国会竟然传出“你是狗，你是支那”的呼叫声。“支那”（Cina）是印尼某些种族主义分子对华人的惯用词，是二战前日本侵略中国对中国人的恶意贬称。60年代苏哈多领导“新秩序”政府推行歧视华人政策，“支那”之声不绝于耳。

　　1998年5月苏哈多倒台，印尼华人多次呼吁新政府修订歧视条例，别再使用“支那”。去年11月初中国总理朱镕基访问雅加达，总统美加华蒂以“中华”（Tionghua）代替“支那”，恢复她的已故父亲、印尼国父苏卡诺时代对华人的称呼，获得好评。

　　然而，这次在印尼国会叫嚣“支那”者却是美加华蒂领导的斗争派民主党议员，另有一名帮腔议员还向在场记者嚷道：“用大标题报道：现在的支那人已胆敢在这里殖民了。”

　　挨骂的另一党派华裔议员来自回教政党，鲜少以华人领袖自居，也不谙中文，但刺耳的“支那”声却令许多印尼华人深恶痛绝，为他打抱不平。12月6日，数十名华裔领袖聚集雅加达，要骂人议员现身说法，但有关人士消声灭迹，不敢露面。

　　实际上，华裔领袖这次敢生气，反映出印尼华人社会今非昔比。在“新秩序”时期，任何华裔要在雅加达公开说华语，轻者换来白眼，重者还有牢狱之灾。

　　1998年5月苏哈多倒台前夕爆发排华暴动，大批暴徒肆无忌惮的掠夺和焚烧华人区，惊动世界，也惊醒无数默默承受的印尼华裔。终于，他们加入排山倒海的改革浪潮，推翻了极权，随即选出新的政府俯顺民意，再次让中华文明在千岛之国恢复生机。

　　去年10月底，印尼多个城镇同时举办第一届汉语水平考试（HSK）竟有1200人参加；中国和印尼教育部联办的汉语师资培训班也有800多人及格。

　　印尼宪法强调殊途同归精神，200多个族群地位相等，权益就不应有别。而今有如雨后春笋般在各地相续成立的印尼华裔团体，正要筹组一个能向政府表达华社意愿、争取华裔应有权益的最具代表性组织。

　　华裔向来积极参与国家的建设与发展，21世纪的今天更具天时地利的条件，能够带领急需经济建设的印尼人民奔向中华文明的经济世界。

　　倘若再有任何歧视和侮辱性的动作或称呼，显然是开历史倒车，不利印尼明天的前途。

　　（作者是《联合早报》驻雅加达特派员）

《联合早报》

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