When former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid adopted a so-called “pro-ethnic Chinese policy”, many observers considered it to be a golden opportunity for a “renaissance” of Chinese culture in Indonesia. They thought Chinese Indonesians would be ready to change their Indonesian names to ethnic Chinese names again.

　　However, there was no response from the ethnic Chinese community. Before answering the question, a brief historical background on the law will be useful.

　　 In fact, the name-changing regulation was first introduced in 1961 during the Sukarno era. The applicant was required to obtain recommendation letters from governors or mayors and local police chiefs.

　　In December 1966, the Suharto government simplified the procedure to encourage name-changing among the Indonesian citizens of foreign descent.

　　According to the regulation, Chinese who were Indonesian citizens simply submitted their applications to local authorities to be registered and the applications would be passed to the Justice Department. If no objection was raised by the local community within three months, the new name would be legal.

　　It should be noted that name-changing was not compulsory and only Chinese citizens are allowed to change their names to “Indonesian names”. Alien Chinese were/are not allowed. Nevertheless, as the state was actively promoting name-changing, to retain Chinese names was then seen as in disagreement or even disloyalty to the country, and would face possible repression from the state.

　　The majority of Chinese Indonesians eventually changed their names. Even those alien Chinese who were naturalized also adopted “Indonesian names”. They used both Indonesian and Chinese names in daily life but for official purposes, only “Indonesian names” were/are used.

　　It should also be mentioned that there is no rigid definition of “Indonesian names”. Any name, as long as it is not obviously Chinese, was regarded as “Indonesian”. Western and Indian names are accepted as “Indonesian names”.

　　After the fall of the Suharto regime, the state became weak and with democratisation and the revival of ethnicity, theoretically the Indonesian Chinese should immediately change their names. But this is not the case.

　　The explanation lies in the Chinese Indonesians themselves and the change in Indonesian society. Firstly, the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia are heterogeneous. They consist of peranakan--local-born and Indonesian-speaking Chinese and totoks--foreign-born Chinese-speaking Chinese.

　　However, the 32 years of Suharto’s rule resulted in the peranakanisation, even Indonesianisation, of the descendants of the totoks. It is an established fact that many peranakan Chinese have identified themselves with the Indonesian nation.

　　In the long period of Suharto’s rule, the concept of Indonesian nation had been defined in indigenous terms. These peranakans began to accept “Indonesian names” as part of their official identity.　

　　 Even the totok Chinese continued to use two names, i.e. adopted Indonesian names as well as original Chinese names.

　　It should be stated that the Chinese-Indonesian children who were born during the New Order are likely to have been given Indonesian names and have no official Chinese names. If they want to adopt Chinese names now, it has to be created for them.

　　 However, the majority might feel uneasy to use Chinese names as many are already known with their Indonesian names. Furthermore, they do not understand Chinese at all.

　　For the older generation Chinese peranakans who have adopted Indonesian names, for 32 years they were known by their Indonesian names. As all their legal documents are in Indonesian names, it will be very inconvenient to change their names back to Chinese.

　　 In addition, indigenous Indonesian nationalism is still strong and many Chinese still feel the pressure to continue using Indonesian names. However, some may change or adopt Chinese names as a matter of principle, but these still belong to a minority.

　　In fact, the Indonesian political situation is still very fluid. People do not know whether or not there will be policy changes again in the post-Gus Dur period. Not surprisingly, the ethnic Chinese have been quite cautious in responding to the change.

　　(This abridged English version is also written by the author who is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore.)

　　苏哈多对印尼华人采取同化政策。他以“土著”为“国族”的模式，视华族文化为外族文化，不能成为所谓“印尼文化”的组成部份。

　　他因此禁封华族文化的三大支柱（即华团，华校与华文媒体），只准许华人在家庭范围内庆祝传统节日，限制华文的使用，严禁华文读物入口，只批准半印半华的官方《印度尼西亚日报》出版。

印尼华人迎接农历新年。

　　但是，冲淡华人身分认同最重要的措施，是印共政变后，在1966年12月所发布的改名换姓法令。

　　1998年5月暴乱后苏哈多下台，哈比比接任，开始初步改革。1999年10月瓦希德当选总统，推行“亲华人”政策，恢复部分华族文化三大支柱，废除1967年禁止华人公开庆祝节日的法令，准许华文报刊出版及华人团体成立，也允许设立华文培训中心，唯不得复办华校。

　　有鉴于此，有些观察家认为，这是印尼“华族文化复兴”的大好机会。当瓦希德提出印尼华人可恢复使用华人姓名时，有人以为印尼华人会争先恐后改回使用华人姓名。

　　事实却不是如此。其原因何在？在回答前，且让我们看看改名换姓法令的来龙去脉。

　　早在苏卡诺时代，印尼政府已颁布1961年的改名换姓法令，可是手续繁杂且有附带条件。申请人必须获得省长或市长与警长的推荐信。然而，政府并不积极推行此项法令，因此鲜为人知。

　　但是苏哈多时代的1966年法令手续简单且没有附带条件。申请人只要呈文地方长官，由他们转呈司法部，在三个月内若无人反对，新姓名即可生效。

　　必须指出的是，改名换姓并不是强制性的，有意改名者得正式呈文申请，也只有印尼籍民方能申请。华侨（外侨）无权改用印尼姓名。

　　虽然改名并非强制性，但是在条例颁布时，由于政府大力推行，且把改名与国家认同及效忠问题拉在一起，致使大部份华裔印尼籍民，纷纷采用“印尼姓名”。

　　所谓“印尼姓名”，其实是非华族姓名，洋名及印度名也算是“印尼姓名”。

　　如果在苏哈多时代，改名带有“半强迫性”，那么为什么他下台后，国家脆弱，民主思潮及族群认同抬头之际，特别是当瓦希德说印尼华人可以重新使用华族姓名时，华人并没有反应？其原因是在于华社本身以及印尼社会的变迁。

　　首先，我们必须记住印华社会是多元体，其中有讲印尼语的土生华人与讲华语的“新客华人”。然而，32年的苏哈多统治使“新客华人”的后裔“土生华人化”，甚至是“印尼化”。

　　一般上，印尼土生华人与印尼认同已经是公认的事实。在漫长的日子里，印尼“国族”以“土著”为基础，土生华人也逐渐接受，采用“印尼姓名”就是一种认同方式。即使是新客华人在入籍后也采用“印尼姓名”，不过，在生活中仍保留原名。

　　应该指出的是，在“新秩序”时代诞生与长大的印华孩童一般上都只取印尼姓名，有些也取华族姓名但只在家庭使用。没有华族姓名者可能是占多数。

　　他们如果现在要取华族姓名，就得创造新姓名。许多华裔长期以来都用印尼姓名，若突然改换华族姓名觉得有点不惯，尤有进者，他们已不谙华语。至于老一辈的土生华人，在32年来用惯“印尼姓名”，所有的法定文件都用“印尼姓名”，如果再改名，手续繁杂，很不方便。此外，印尼土著民族主义方兴未艾，印尼华人仍深感使用“印尼姓名”的压力。然而，有些华人认为，用回华族姓名是原则问题，但是持有此观点者仍属少数。

　　印尼政局还未明朗，人们不知在后瓦希德时代的印尼华人政策是否会有改变，也难怪印尼华人在应付局势变迁时颇为谨慎。

　　·作者为新加坡国立大学政治系教授

《联合早报》

<<< 返回/Return