Stories from Deli

Ann Stoler on Deli in 1929

In the beginning of April 1929, a growing restlessness’ was reported among the coolies of the Tandem estate, located outside the town of Binjei, northwest of Medan. Not less than 37 Chinese workers marched to Medan to protest the arrest of five of their comrades accused the previous year of instigating communist riots. The protesting workers were immediately repatriated to their homelands, while police guards were sent in to patrol the estate.

At the end of the month there was still trouble; 103 coolies refused to work until an overseer was dismissed. The court sentenced all of them to one month’s detention, after which 60 more workers were sent back to China. When the remaining workers returned to the estate and again refused to work, they were sentenced to three more months’ imprisonment.

In June, 60 workers again staged a work-stoppage until police forces quelled the action. Finally, after strict surveillance, a “secret organization” was discovered on the Tandem estate and the court sentenced 26 of its alleged members to four years in prison. [OvSl 1930:30-31]

According to Pewarta Deli (June 1929):

The situation on the Tandem estates these days has become more and more aggravated. Yesterday we reported that a squad of district police were stationed there because the coolies were becoming rambunctious. Scores of workers have been already detained and charged with inciting obstinacy, fomenting trouble, and refusing to work. The Dutch press reports that there are provocateurs from China among the estate coolies. They are supposedly making communist propaganda and organizing a secret society with the intention of inciting unrest among the workers. These provocateurs and leaders have thus far evaded capture and still cannot be identified.

The police are now trying to find out who among the coolies is the ringleader, who is urging them to protest. Estate security appears to have been seriously shaken. Although there have been scores of persons detained, the coolies still dare to fight the authorities and are unwilling to work. Quite a number have fled the estate and thus far have not been caught. Such is the news of estate security.

These coolies are social beings … they know the difference between well-being and trouble …. It’s not as if they don’t know that if they run away, if they create disturbances as they have been doing, that they’ll be in trouble, that they will not be safe in the plantation sphere. · · ·

Tens of coolies were recently called before the district court. They were accused of unwillingness to work and defiance of orders. The coolies explained clearly that they were not happy working under a particular overseer, and that they preferred prison to returning to work on that estate. The reason they gave was that the overseer liked to beat the coolies, was unduly severe and gave out unsuitable work. The coolies also brought up an accusation that the overseer had once struck a coolie who died from the blow. The murder case was investigated by the authorities, but the evidence was insufficient to indict the overseer. We don’t blame the police. An investigation was made. According to the constitution, there can be no sentence without witnesses and evidence. Thus the overseer was not brought to trial. Even if he could not be sentenced, even if there is no proof against him, one thing is sure: the coolies did not want to take orders from this overseer ….

Sure the coolies are stubborn, sure they are said to fight. Sure they are said to have established a secret organization, but one more thing is certain: the reason they mounted this action was because they were uneasy under this overseer. The coolies were prosecuted, the overseer remained an overseer on the Tandem estate. This is what is at the root of all the trouble ….

Do all wrongs have to be pinned on the coolies? Do we have to let the estate authorities scot-free of responsibility? If the estate had gotten rid of the tandil or had removed him from contact with the workers, it’s sure that we would not have heard about communist propaganda on the estate, it’s almost sure we would not need to send 25 district police, it’s almost certain that the government authorities and police would not have to waste all their time on estate matters.

Almost every single commotion on the estates has a single cause; the coolies are dissatisfied with how they are treated by the assistants, overseers and other managerial personnel. Disturbances occur because these feelings of malcontent go unheeded …. The estate managers can ignore the coolies’ complaints because they have the power of the penal sanction behind them, because they have enormous power over the coolies. This legal right causes the tuan kebun to assault a coolie, and causes the coolie to make trouble. This is the general situation on the estates and this is what happened at the Tandem plantation. When the coolies’ needs are ignored, they become agitated. This feeling grows and is vented in riots. And when these disturbances occur people call it communism. It doesn’t take much to be labelled communist in this colonial state of ours! Whether communist, or extremist, or whatever “ist,” only justice and truth can bring some peace. That is the “key” to all the trouble. [28 June 1929)

Whenever there is some small incident, it’s generalized to look as if the coolies are to blame … and now, on top of this, they [the Dutch press] compound this with the idea that nationalists have spread like wild fire on the estates …. The communists are no longer around to blame, so the Dutch press switches to accusing nationalism. This is playing with fire and their hands will be burned! Pointing a finger at nationalism is the same as saying: if you’re bothered by rats, burn down the house!

From: Ann Stoler. Capitalism and Confrontation in Sumatra’s Plantation Belt.