Stories from Deli

De Sumatra Post 21-02-1912

In Batavia, riots occurred in the Glodok and Senen districts, namely because of the display of the republican flag (prohibited in Batavia). The riots initially looked threatening, but passed off calmly. The troublemakers were arrested. Now everything is quiet. ^From Surabaya, the news comes that the singkehs there have been very excited since Saturday evening, 11. Some riots with the police arose because of the lighting of fireworks. These riots initially did not seem to be of a serious nature. But the excitement only subsided when the soldiers started patrolling. On Sunday afternoon the excitement reached its peak and the unruly singkehs turned against the major and captain of the Chinese, who had not yet shaved their tails and had not hung a Republic flag on their house. In the house of the Chinese major everything was smashed to pieces and a terrible destruction was caused. Then the rioters went to the house of the captain, where a clash with the police took place. One Chinese was shot dead and some were wounded. Many were arrested. With the help of the requisitioned soldiers the Chinese camp was cordoned off and the lighting of fireworks was prohibited, after which peace was restored and the whole night was not disturbed again. The heads of the regional government and of the local government conferred with the Chinese authorities. In total about 20 Chinese were arrested. Now everything is quiet. The troops remained in the barracks all night.

22-02-1912

Unrest among the Chinese. In Surabaya, Macau people walked through the city yesterday and ordered the Chinese shops to close under threat. Even a shop in the upper city received this order, as did the pawn shops, which however were given military guard and then reopened. On Kali Anjar there was a clash with the police. A Chinese was seriously shot. Several others were injured. 4 ringleaders were arrested. On Kramat Gantung and Bapjssan riots were thwarted by the active intervention of the police and military. The peace was not disturbed any further after that, not even on Tuesday night, although rumors about new riots being prepared kept going around. The Major and Captain of the Chinese both now have their tails shorn and cut off. It is remarkable that since Tuesday not a single republican flag has flown in the city.

Later: Just now the beginning of a riot broke out in which a Chinese attacked a head minder. The attacker was wounded in the back by a bayonet thrust and then brought to justice. Peace was then restored. For today-( Wednesday evening, however, disturbances of the peace are expected again. The number of dead is four, that of the wounded 7. Many were arrested.

The Chinese riots. In Batavia.

From Batavia, on March 2, a signal was sent to the Deli Ct.: Yesterday evening a gang of Maoauers, about ICO strong, made the market unsafe and pursued a tailed Chinese, who fled into the house of the previous Chinese captain. While the police were in this house, other Chinese, who were also pursued by that troop, called for help. The police made a sortie and arrested a ringleader, who was taken to the military guard in front of the pawn shop. Another leader fled to Djalan-Roda, was seized there and taken to the guard. The Maoauers pressed on to free the prisoners, so that the guard, 24 strong, came into resistance and, with the help of the police, attacked the Chinese, whereby some of them were trampled underfoot. The assistant resident conferred with the Chinese captain. The furniture maker Basan and the heads of the singkehs guaranteed that their people would remain quiet and then the prisoners were released. One of them, who arrived in Batavia yesterday, will be sent back by the Chinese captain. Around midnight, peace had returned. This evening, armed patrols will be at the market to immediately suppress any disturbances.

In Surabaya.

The Tjap-go-meh festivities in Soe abaja passed by peacefully. Resident Enthoven left for Buitenzorg, probably to discuss the Cbineesche riots.

In Semarang.

The Chinese trade forerunner Sian-boe in Semarang telegraphed her regret about the excesses of the Chinese in Surabaya and respectfully requested in the interest of trade to restore order and peace and to have an investigation instituted as soon as possible into the guilty, so that the innocent will be set free. The Chinese major Tan Siauw Lip published a letter from the resident in the local papers, in which he expressed his gratitude to the Chinese officers and district masters for their help and vigilance and the calm attitude, which prevented any riots. The Tjap-go-meh festivities here were very calm. Many Chinese took off their tails on this occasion. It aroused surprise in Semarang that on February 29 not a single Chinese flag was put out.

In Bandung.

On 28th February, news was received in Bandoehg that the new Chinese flag was allowed to be put up. When the companies heard this, they called a meeting with the Chinese lieutenant. At the meeting it was decided to celebrate in a few days and then to fly the flag first. Not a single flag was put up in the camp. The board and the police have acted with great tact lately, so that every Chinese knows what to do.

In Medan
The Chinese holidays are over, the Tjap-go-meh has blown the strike manoeuvre with a crackling firework and the Chinese population has returned to work zeal. We heard from our information that the holidays had a very orderly course. Tjap-go-meh, with its powerful banging effect, hard salvos, crackling like gunfire and its bombs like cannon shots, has seen less fireworks go up than in other years. The kesavan, where they were also allowed to light their god offerings, has remained virtually free and no particular noise has been noticed. The police, who had reinforced their guards, did not have to intervene anywhere. From Bindjey, Tebing Tinggi and other places in the region we receive the same reports about the course of the festival. Lots of fire, but nothing special has happened.

DC 26-02-1912

The Chinese Riots.

The recently concluded New Year provided the sons of the young Chinese republic with the opportunity to celebrate their rise as free citizens of a republican state institution with much exciting firecracker noise and harmless bombs. Reuters even reported that the Chinese in Australia greeted the birth of the republic with great enthusiasm. This celebration also took place throughout the Dutch East Indies and the English Straits Settlements, though not everywhere with the same results. For several days now, we have been publishing telegrams about the riots in Surabaya, and according to the latest reports we received, which we were able to announce in Medan yesterday via bulletin, the situation has escalated into a serious clash between the authorities and the Chinese, drunk on self-importance. In the English colonies as well, the police had to use force and gunfire to suppress Chinese uprisings. Even the volunteers were called to arms.

We wonder why here, apart from the display of flags said to be republican, we have noticed nothing else of the celebration of Chinese New Year and the establishment of the republic. Perhaps the answer lies partly in the following report, which we excerpt from the Java Bode. That newspaper wrote: “A telegram from Surabaya informs us that, according to the Soerabaja Handelsblad, the government has granted permission to the Chinese to hoist the Chinese flag on their New Year’s Day. One immediately understands that this report cannot be accurate. There is no republican flag yet, and the Chinese republic has not been recognized. The issue also arose in Batavia: our Chinese also wanted to hoist what they consider the republican flag. Instead of granting permission, it was announced, in consultation with the Resident, that it would be strictly forbidden to hoist the so-called republican flag as long as the republic has not been recognized by the Dutch government.”

The Java Bode is, of course, well-informed in this regard. We therefore assume that the Chinese in Batavia have been prohibited from displaying their flag. Has this decision also been applied to Surabaya? We do not know, but we hope that the Chinese have not been provoked by a flag ban. It is true that the Chinese republic must first be officially recognized and that the government officially still deals with the Chinese empire, but on the other hand, one must consider practical realities and not get oneself into a hornet’s nest over a fiction. The Chinese republic has been established, and the Chinese imperial throne has fallen with a heavy blow. This is something that a not-too-strong colonial government like that of the Dutch East Indies must take into account.

Moreover, in such a case, the government must follow a consistent policy and either allow the display of flags everywhere or nowhere. There has been no prohibition for Medan. If it has been prohibited elsewhere, it gives a strange impression of the government’s reasoning. We hope that the riots in Surabaya did not arise from this. Our latest telegram finally reported the forceful action of the troops and police against the Chinese, who seem to think that even in a country where they enjoy hospitality, where they are given the opportunity to work and become rich, they may terrorize people who think differently than they do.

How is it possible that forceful action was not taken immediately after the attack on the house of the captain and major of the Chinese? Before the outbreak, one must respect the feelings of the people; afterward, one must act with force. This should also be remembered in our region, where we are more than anywhere else at the mercy of the heathens. In this regard, however, we gladly trust the authorities. The Soerabaja Handelsblad had already urged forceful action, as we were informed. Only when the shopkeepers persisted in closing and the Dutch flag was insulted did they decide to take action. Three hundred of the rioters have been imprisoned. A severe punishment, which must be imposed quickly, will have to teach these gentlemen how to live in the Indies. The rioters in the English colonies, about whom we also report in this issue, already received their three-month prison sentence the next day. A good example.