Pao An Tui
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Pao An Tui () sometimes spelt Po An Tui or Poh An Tui from the
Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...
pronunciation, were self-defense forces of the
Chinese-Indonesian Chinese Indonesians (), or simply ''Orang Tionghoa'' or ''Tionghoa'', are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries. Chinese Indonesians are the fourth largest community of Overseas Chinese in th ...
community during the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...
from 1945 to 1949. The group has been accused by Indonesian nationalists of harbouring pro-Dutch sympathies during the Revolution, especially during the police actions, though it received arms and support from both sides of the conflict. Pao An Tui was disbanded in 1949 with the cessation of violence and the conclusion of the revolution in
Indonesian Independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...
.


History

Following the end of the Second World War in Asia in 1945, separate units of Pao An Tui were formed by groups of Chinese-Indonesians, whom many Indonesian revolutionaries accused of siding with the Dutch. Units were created in
Medan Medan ( , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multi ...
,
North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
in 1946, then in
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
in 1947. In order to address the disorder and violence against and by Chinese-Indonesians, the important community organization "Chung Hua Tsung Hui" hosted a conference in Batavia, the capital of colonial Indonesia, from August 24 until August 26, 1947. The conference resulted, on August 29, in the official formation of Pao An Tui, headquartered in Batavia. The Central Committee consisted of Loa Sek Hie (Chairman), Oey Kim Sen (Deputy Chairman), Khouw Joe Tjan (Secretary) and Cong Fai-kim (Treasurer), and claimed jurisdiction over all Pao An Tui units. The force claimed neutrality during the revolution, receiving support for its establishment from both
Sutan Sjahrir Sutan Sjahrir (5 March 1909 – 9 April 1966) was an Indonesian statesman and independence leader who served as the first Prime Minister of Indonesia, prime minister of Indonesia from 1945 until 1947. He played a key role during the Indonesian Na ...
, first
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
of revolutionary Indonesia, and arms from the pro-Dutch Allied forces. The Pao An Tui were disbanded in 1949 with the conclusion of the revolution in
Indonesian Independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...
.


Controversy and criticism

The neutrality of Pao An Tui in the struggle for Indonesia's independence has been challenged on a number of occasions. The Indonesian revolutionary government, suspecting the force of pro-Dutch sympathies, refused to extend its formal recognition until 1948. A minority of left-wing Chinese-Indonesians at the time also strongly resisted the force due to its close ties to the right-wing Chinese-Indonesian colonial elite and the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
in China. In early 2016, a media furore was caused by the supposed unveiling of a monument to Pao An Tui at
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (; formerly Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah" with apostrophes—abbreviated as TMII) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Since July 2021, it is operated by InJourney Destination Managem ...
by the interior minister
Tjahjo Kumolo Tjahjo Kumolo (1 December 1957 – 1 July 2022) was an Indonesian politician. He served as Minister of Home Affairs in the Working Cabinet (2014–2019), and Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform in the Onward Indonesia Cabinet fr ...
. Rizieq Shihab, the Islamist leader of the
Islamic Defenders Front The Islamic Defenders Front (; ) was an Indonesian hardline Islamist organization founded in 1998 by Muhammad Rizieq Shihab with backing from military and political figures. Since 2015, Ahmad Shabri Lubis has been the organization's leader, w ...
, was one of the fiercest critics of the Indonesian government's apparent support for Pao An Tui. In fact, the monument in question was dedicated to an earlier Chinese militia, formed in the aftermath of the Chinese Massacre of 1740 in Batavia, that fought with the Javanese against the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...
. Various conspiracy theories continue to be associated with the putative specter of the Pao An Tui. For instance, in an opinion piece of May 2017, the writer and political commentator Batara Hutagalung accuses descendants of the Pao An Tui of conspiring with the Dutch government, supporters of Indonesian federalism and the defunct
Indonesian Communist Party The Communist Party of Indonesia ( Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in the Dutch East Indies and later Indonesia. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its violent disbandment in ...
of destabilizing Indonesia by attempting to establish control over its resources, consumer market, as well as its geo-political and geo-strategic position as a form of 'historic revenge'.


References

{{Authority control Indonesian National Revolution Chinese diaspora in Indonesia Anti-Chinese sentiment in Indonesia Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations disestablished in 1949 Dutch East Indies Aftermath of World War II in Indonesia 1945 establishments in Indonesia 1949 disestablishments in Indonesia