OPINION: The (Beijing) Olympics and Indonesia
The Jakarta Post, 21 April 2008
In less than four months, the world will witness one of the biggest and widely discussed international events ever hosted by the People's Republic of China -- the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Beijing is all geared up for the event. You can virtually sense the heightened atmosphere, and, no, I am not talking about the pollution.
The Beijing Olympic symbol is virtually everywhere, on pens, on cups, on yogurt bottles, on the bus, on television, in magazines, etc. Poetic rhymed slogans -- such as, Yin ao yun, Jiang wen ming, Shu xin feng, loosely translated as "Welcome the Olympic, speak of civilization, establish new attitude" and You ya yan xing, You liang zhi xu, You zhi fu wu, You mei huan jing, or "Refined words and deeds, civil public order, quality service, beautiful environment" -- are plastered and scattered around the capital and other major cities in China.
If there had been any debate about the inexistence of China's modern ideology, the Beijing Olympic could almost effectively bind the imagination of the Chinese community. If there are key agents for political change in China during its transition, Beijing Olympic can be counted as a major agent.
In different parts of the city, Chinese people of all ages have been exerting creative efforts to become decent and hospitable hosts. You can find free English corners in public parks for local people to learn English so they can welcome visitors.
Local and international students are registering as volunteers. Volunteers are practicing on the streets, providing street and public transport directions, picking up garbage and cleaning up parks.
Public service advertisements on television refill the channels with reflections of civilized manners -- no spitting, no speaking outloud, no littering, queuing award, etc -- considered to be proper behavior for the host country. The intensity of these advertisements is far more heightened compared to similar campaigns during other major events in the past, for example, the Asian Games. "Good luck Beijing" events mushrooms at almost all sporting, culture and art venues.
The Tibet violence and the Olympic torch relay have even further amplified the Beijing Olympic discourse to an interesting yet critical level. We can see this by looking at the multifarious and multifaceted campaigns generated by different governments, different media and different level of societies.
A fast moving flux of criticism, mainly from the foreign media, depicting the terror in Tibet was responded to by an equally strong spate of countercriticism from local media. The Internet became a battleground for different media, individuals and groups.
Amongst the most iconic highlights were the pictures of security officers beating up Tibetan monks. The officers were described as Chinese officers by some major international media. The photographs, later to be used by some Indonesia media as well, were vehemently countered by individuals who pointed out the officers were actually Nepalese security officers.
Anti-China campaigns for a boycott were as loud as nationalist calls for a peaceful celebration of the event. Both proponents and opponents of the Beijing Olympic continued to rattle their sabers as this piece was written.
The wide-ranging interpretations of what the Beijing Olympics means and what it can be to different parties, make it undoubtedly "an event of mega-symbolism".
The Olympic torch will, hopefully, continue to go through Jakarta this year as part of its journey, in which selected athletes and artists with inspirational achievements will bear the torch. We can interpret and make our narratives about this event as well.
We can see the Olympics as the event for international understanding, where athletes from different countries, which within the cruel reality of international relations would only engage each other in insults or bullets, come together.
We can express hope that our athletes and artists bearing the torch will continue to be society's inspiration for achieving to the best of our ability in accordance with our field of work or study. We can show the world there is much to see and hope for in Indonesia, as we embody the Olympic spirit of friendship, understanding, unity and peace.
We can reemphasize the value of Earth in sheltering our life and freedom, and the need to protect our planet from degradation and human ignorance. We can also show that Indonesia is a country worth visiting due to the richness of our multicultural identity and the amicable warmth of our open freedom.
How I remember vividly the warm flow of tears on my cheeks when the majestic melody of Indonesia Raya filled Barcelona's Pavells de la Mar Bella stadium in 1992 and the pride induced a swelling of my heart when I looked at the red and white waved at the highest bar.
How I remember the shaken but proud Susi Susanti, whose figure stood straight up, glistening eyes transfixed at our national flag and trembling lips whispered our national anthem -- with our country's first ever Olympic gold medal dangling victoriously at her bosom.
Now, 16 years later, I am wondering if this summer I might hear Indonesia Raya resound again here in Beijing.
In less than four months, the world will witness one of the biggest and widely discussed international events ever hosted by the People's Republic of China -- the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Beijing is all geared up for the event. You can virtually sense the heightened atmosphere, and, no, I am not talking about the pollution.
If there had been any debate about the inexistence of China's modern ideology, the Beijing Olympic could almost effectively bind the imagination of the Chinese community. If there are key agents for political change in China during its transition, Beijing Olympic can be counted as a major agent.
In different parts of the city, Chinese people of all ages have been exerting creative efforts to become decent and hospitable hosts. You can find free English corners in public parks for local people to learn English so they can welcome visitors.
Local and international students are registering as volunteers. Volunteers are practicing on the streets, providing street and public transport directions, picking up garbage and cleaning up parks.
Public service advertisements on television refill the channels with reflections of civilized manners -- no spitting, no speaking outloud, no littering, queuing award, etc -- considered to be proper behavior for the host country. The intensity of these advertisements is far more heightened compared to similar campaigns during other major events in the past, for example, the Asian Games. "Good luck Beijing" events mushrooms at almost all sporting, culture and art venues.
The Tibet violence and the Olympic torch relay have even further amplified the Beijing Olympic discourse to an interesting yet critical level. We can see this by looking at the multifarious and multifaceted campaigns generated by different governments, different media and different level of societies.
A fast moving flux of criticism, mainly from the foreign media, depicting the terror in Tibet was responded to by an equally strong spate of countercriticism from local media. The Internet became a battleground for different media, individuals and groups.
Amongst the most iconic highlights were the pictures of security officers beating up Tibetan monks. The officers were described as Chinese officers by some major international media. The photographs, later to be used by some Indonesia media as well, were vehemently countered by individuals who pointed out the officers were actually Nepalese security officers.
Anti-China campaigns for a boycott were as loud as nationalist calls for a peaceful celebration of the event. Both proponents and opponents of the Beijing Olympic continued to rattle their sabers as this piece was written.
The wide-ranging interpretations of what the Beijing Olympics means and what it can be to different parties, make it undoubtedly "an event of mega-symbolism".
The Olympic torch will, hopefully, continue to go through Jakarta this year as part of its journey, in which selected athletes and artists with inspirational achievements will bear the torch. We can interpret and make our narratives about this event as well.
We can see the Olympics as the event for international understanding, where athletes from different countries, which within the cruel reality of international relations would only engage each other in insults or bullets, come together.
We can express hope that our athletes and artists bearing the torch will continue to be society's inspiration for achieving to the best of our ability in accordance with our field of work or study. We can show the world there is much to see and hope for in Indonesia, as we embody the Olympic spirit of friendship, understanding, unity and peace.
We can reemphasize the value of Earth in sheltering our life and freedom, and the need to protect our planet from degradation and human ignorance. We can also show that Indonesia is a country worth visiting due to the richness of our multicultural identity and the amicable warmth of our open freedom.
How I remember the shaken but proud Susi Susanti, whose figure stood straight up, glistening eyes transfixed at our national flag and trembling lips whispered our national anthem -- with our country's first ever Olympic gold medal dangling victoriously at her bosom.
Now, 16 years later, I am wondering if this summer I might hear Indonesia Raya resound again here in Beijing.
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