14 Aug
Breeding Culture
Cul’ture (kul’cher) vt: to grow (micro-organisms) in a specially prepared medium.
Yesterday the Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar advised foreign visitors, specifically western women, against going out in public scantily dressed.
At the opening of a national meeting of his ministry’s officials in Jakarta, he said, “Our country holds high moral values and wearing revealing clothes insults the women’s dignity. Women from western countries visiting Indonesia go to the market wearing only a bra.”
What? No panties??
He did not say why he raised the issue. Neither did he cite instances where he had spotted Westerners going about their business in their underwear.
So now we have confirmation of yet another blinkered government minister in SBY’s government.
Cul’ture (kul’cher) n: the ideas, customs, skills, arts etc. of a people or group, that are transferred, communicated or passed along as in or to succeeding generations.
Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday that [his administration] would increase the size of Betawi Cultural Village in Situ Babakan, South Jakarta. He said, “We want the village to represent the culture and the life and tradition of Betawi people.”
Fine words? Not when nigh on everyone else, including Husein Abdul Aziz, head of the Jakarta regional representative council of the Democrat Party and also the head of the Betawi Scholars Circle (BSC), perceives Orang Betawi to be resistant to education.
“At the Betawi Scholars Circle we have a number of successful Betawi figures who have become professors and experts. The young Betawi should look up to them,” said Husein. “But habits of today’s youth and the youths in my time differs.”
I’ve already commented on the recent Betawi youth gang’s thuggery, connected with their carving up of patches for their ‘protection’ rackets.
Then there is the matter of definition. Ultra Tupai commented here as follows:
Susan Abeyasekere in Jakarta: A History has this to say about the Betawi. First, by the nineteenth century ethnic groups in Batavia “underwent the most interesting transformation.” Here Malays, Buginese, Balinese, Sumbawanese, Ambonese and others and “the catch-all category of slaves” were intermixed to such an extent that by the 1820s “observers could no longer divide the Indonesian community into distinct ethnic groups.” In the nineteenth century Indonesians born in Batavia generally came to be called Orang Betawi.
Also, an observer of Betawi culture, S.M. Ardan, once said Betawi people had almost no original arts of their own because most of the arts had emerged through the intermingling of various arts from those ethnic groups.
So, what ‘culture’ is going to be displayed for the reported $3 million of City Hall’s money? If the intention is to prevent the further acculturalisation of Betawi culture, then it is obviously wrong to “mostly facilitate the Muslim-Betawi culture” and marginalise certain groups such as Betawi Pinggir [Rural Betawi] and the group Cina Benteng in Tangerang, the township south of Jakarta.
Tatang Hidayat, the head of the Betawi Culture Institution (LKB) said, “Cina Benteng arts and the cokek dance of Rural Betawi are not Betawi culture.”
Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday that [his administration] would increase the size of Betawi Cultural Village in Situ Babakan, South Jakarta. He said, “We want the village to represent the culture and the life and tradition of Betawi people.”
I also read Bowo's statement in the Jakarta Post. I am very interested in the Betawi situation. Just exactly who are the Betawi? Who is in and who is out? Can I apply to be a Betawi? Is Betawi an "ethnic" group? Is it a political group? An invented tradition? Whose advantage is it to perpetuate "Betawiness" and just what does that entail? How does it differ from any other "group" living in Jakarta?
I think, in part, that the resurgence of Betawi is a result of the aftermath of the May 1998 riots and the fall of Suharto. It is a direct result of the inability of the civil authorities of Jakarta to provide for the conditions of a civil society. After 1998 centralized authority was weakened at all levels of government. In the era of "reformasi" power is now de-centered in various places and groups through the city. It is much to the advantage (economically and politically) of the Betawi leadership to maintain their position vis-a-vis a weakened central authority.
In the past Suharto used these groups when and where he pleased but after 1998 who in their right mind would trust centralized authority? Thus the resurgence of the "Betawi" and all the other competing groups that have come to exist since 1998.
It is a most curious and very interesting situation.
Indeed ultra possum. One thing for sure, Betawi is real and recognized by Indonesians. Let's let it be? They would be an interesting study: and I would think and hope that they are being formally studied by Indonesians from some hallowed hall or other.
I'm not sure if I detect some aspersions of lack of authenticity in J's piece. But I like the idea of a Betawi people, perhaps formed and strengthened along the lines that you suggest, because they, and their language and humour, are acknowledged and appreciated. They seem to be a club that immigrants to Jakarta tacity join, at least while they are here.
"I'm not sure if I detect some aspersions of lack of authenticity in J's piece."
You do, Anong, but only because I'm quoting the LKB when they say that the cokek dance of Rural Betawi [is] not Betawi culture.
The Rural Betawi are those who have been displaced from central Jakarta (e.g. Senayan and Casablanca) as the city has grown. Strangely, the site of the proposed 'Cultural Centre' is one of the areas they had to move to.
I see. Out of my perched window I daily gaze on the Kampung of what I would estimate to be 800 houses – 300m from Sudirman. All living nicely, edged by three mosques and no cokek in site, Salt of the earth, but Ive never met one.
From the little I know of INdonesia, there is no "pure" anything. I wonder if earlier generations were overly concerned when new "waves" came and went?
Does anyone know exactly what the word "Betawi" means? My Indonesian dictionary defines Betawi as: 1. Batavia (very curious that); 2. name of ethnic group indigenous to Jakarta (getting closer) and then the term "Betawipeman" defined as "Jakartanization" (very, very curious). Can one be "Jakartanized"? Just what does that entail?
One thing the Betawi are not is Javanese. That's for sure. It was a rather strict colonial policy to ban the Javanese from Batavia. They were cut out of most everything that has to do with early Batavia. Mostly out of fear that they would infiltrate the city and cut the throats of the Dutch while they slept. No joke.
Javanese were forbidden even to be taken by the Dutch as slaves. So there is that.
From what I gather is that the Betawi were a super-hybrid ethnic group composed out of many other Indonesian ethnic groups including, as Abeyasekere says, "the catch-all category of slaves" which means that you might find blood lines from the far flung corners of the VOC empire in the mix. But is their any real essentialism to claims of Betawiness? Is the name Betawi chosen by them or was it yet another colonial "category"? And what is exactly "authentic" about the Betawi?
Perhaps it is their long history of resisting authority. Staking claims to authenticity through this resistance. This is a curious state of affairs because, it seems to me, that Betawi authenticity is clearly made up. It is invented tradition (such as "we are the original people of Jakarta"). On the other hand it does not make it any less authentic and the Betawi are clearly what one would consider an ethnic group.
The current situation in Jakarta vis-a-vis the Betawi seems to be one where particular resentments are promoted by those who claim Betawi leadership. It is to their advantage to harden Betawi differences and promote Betawi essentialism simply because there is power and money at stake (and apparently real estate). As I said before I think this might be attributed to the de-centered nature of power in post 1998 Jakarta. And Betawi success in this matter leads to the formation of other groups making their own claims (including state sponsored groups or Islamic groups etc.). It is not to unexpected that when these groups touch up against one another that there will be friction.
Just saying…
Don't forget to put 'expat' lineage into the mix. My reading tells me that the Dutch, Portugese, Arabs and Chinese exchanged bodily fluids with whoever was here.
Maybe Our Kid can call himself an orang Betwai asli. I wouldn't mind, as long as he remains open-minded.