A lot of Chinese-Indonesians think that being a Chinese-Indonesian means that we have to side with and defend China at all costs, just because our ancestors were from China.

To criticise China = a betrayer of our own ancestors and identity. Is that justifiable?

===THREAD===

Remember, we have to be able to differentiate our identity as Chinese-Indonesians, with the identity of Chinese people who live in China.

As Chinese diaspora living in Indonesia, it is important for us to have and take pride with our own identity.

Black-and-white thinking that we share the same exact identity with Chinese people living in China is reductive, as it strengthens the racist view that sees Chinese-Indonesians as “perpetual foreigners” in Indonesia.

Hence, it is important to explore whether to blindly support China is the right thing for us to do as a community.

There are so many things to discuss about when we talk about this.

For example, where should we stand in the many political polemics that are happening in China right now?

Take the issue that is currently happening in Hong Kong.

Here, the common assumption people have is that the US is 'riding' Hongkongers that are protesting, making the protests merely seen as a fight between China and US. This is commonly referred as the 'US-China proxy'.

To see this issue only as a proxy between US and China is very dangerous and narrow.

Why? Because even though it is obvious that geopolitical tensions are inevitable, there's one important thing so many fail to consider: Hongkongers are human, and they have their own voices too.

Is it wise for us, Chinese-Indonesians, to force our own perspective and interest, and then dismissing the voice of these Hongkongers?

2 million Hongkongers have gone to the street, multiple times, voicing their demand for freedom. Yet, why people still think it’s a propaganda?

If our support for these Hongkongers were narrowly seen as supporting US imperialism, we have to realise that such kind of thought is very reductive to the struggle these Hongkongers have been fighting, and we have diminished their struggle as a political pawn played by the US.

What about people in Tibet and Uyghurs in Xinjiang?

If everything is only propaganda and conspiracy designed by the US to topple China, how are we going to be able to see the people living there as real humans, and that they have their own thoughts and aspirations?

Why is it so easy for us to quickly assume that Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hongkongers are so stupid, so easy to be fooled, and being used as a political tool by the US?

Isn’t that the same narrative the Colonial Dutch used back then, that we are simply 'stupid' and 'uncivilised'?

Take note: We can only go against the US imperialism if we go against any kind of imperialism and oppression, everywhere.

We have to put humanity and humility – not politics – as our conscience.

When we decide to take sides within a polemic like this, it is important to remember that to think and reflect in details is not always something as simple as black or white.

Joseph Chan/Unsplash

For Indonesian readers https://twitter.com/suaraperanakan/status/1287638704345907201?s=20