- guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 February 2000 01.53 GMT
Today marks a milestone in Indonesia's transition to a democratic society. It is the first time since 1967 that the country's Chinese, or Tiong Hoa, community has been allowed to openly celebrate the lunar new year.
Dragons have been dancing in shopping malls across the city, plays about Chinese culture are once again being performed, businesses selling Chinese festive goods are reporting brisk business and people are flocking to temples.
"Throughout the Suharto years public celebrations were banned because he forced us to assimilate into traditional Indonesian society," said Errnawati Sugondo, a senior member of the Indonesian Chinese Social Association. "Now we are free to celebrate our culture again and people are very keen to do so."
That is also because this year, 2551 in the Chinese calendar, is the year of the Golden Dragon, the most auspicious in the 60-year cycle.
However, with the scars of the 1998 riots still visible all around, most people will not risk inciting more violence, particularly at a time when ethnic and religious tension between Christians and Muslims is engulfing the Spice islands. "Yes there will be dragon dancing and some public shows," said Lau Xian Sing, a worker at the Dharma Bhakti temple in Chinatown. "But I don't think it will be that big. People are still afraid."
They have good reason to be. In a classic example of divide and rule, Mr Suharto used the Chinese to spearhead his furious economic development programme but so stigmatised them as rich and selfish that they became the scapegoat for all the country's ills.
Not only were they victimised in riot after riot, numerous decrees were passed limiting their involvement in national life. The number of Chinese who could enter the civil service, universities and the military was limited, the use of Chinese characters was banned and people were "strongly encouraged" to take Indonesian names. Now these restrictions are slowly being lifted.
All the major political parties have reached out to the Chinese and the president, Abdurrahman Wahid, has even admitted that he has some Chinese ancestry.
"Gus Dur [Mr Wahid] is being very clever," said Harry Tjan Silalahi, a political analyst. "He is creating a personal link to the Chinese which will reduce people's hostility to them while making them feel more upbeat."
Mr Wahid also appointed an ethnic Chinese, Kwik Kian Gie, as his senior economics minister and a Chinese tycoon, Sofyan Wanandi, as the chairman of his business development board. He also chose Beijing as the destination for his first state visit.
However, 14 of the repressive decrees remain in force and with the country facing political turmoil and economic uncertainty, they are unlikely to be lifted soon.
