Bhineka Tunggal Ika – “Unity in Diversity” - the national slogan of Indonesia

I’m looking forward to experiencing present day Indonesia, though as an outsider who will only be visiting 3 or 4 islands I really will only be seeing a tiny bit of the contrasts and variety of the archipelago.

The volcanic origins of Indonesia have added to its diversity, producing some islands very rich in fertile soil and others with large resources of oil and natural gas. The look and character of the islands are distinct, as are the culture heritage of the people who inhabit them. Lying on the ancient trading route between the Middle East and Far East added even more variety to Indonesia. The art and culture of Indonesians often show influences of Arabic, Malay, Indian, Chinese, and European sources. Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam were introduced and then blended with traditional practices. Regional differences have sometimes led to conflict with the Java-centered national government, so after Soeharto’s reign a process of decentralization took place moving more power to district governments. While a good equilibrium has yet to be reached, the country is working hard to keep a unified national identity.

Indonesia is thought to have well over 300 different ethnic groups, most with their own regional language and dialect, but “Bahasa Indonesia” is the official language. From what I’ve read, the Javanese (originally from Eastern and Central Java) are the largest and most dominant ethnic group with 45% of the population. Because of transmigration the Javanese can be found all throughout Indonesia. The majority of Javanese are Muslim. Another interesting characteristic is that the Javanese often have just a single name, like Soekarno and Soeharto, instead of a family name and a given name. The second largest group is the Sudanese (originally of West Java) with around 15% of the population. The Madurese, from the island of Madura that neighbors Java, makes up 7.5%. All the other islands make up just 26% of the population.

Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, worked to unite Indonesians around 5 main principles called the Pancasila. Each principle was given a symbol, and can be found all over Indonesia on the country’s national symbol the garuda bird, from Buddhist and Hindu mythology the bird is known for its power and intelligence. A star represents a unified faith in God. A chain represents a unified feeling of humanity in Indonesia and its links with humankind elsewhere. A Banyan tree represents nationalism and encourages unity among all ethnic groups. A buffalo represents the unified government. Finally, the rice and cotton represent unified social justice.

I’ve also been reading up on some general customs and manners for visiting Indonesia, though again it does vary from place to place. Like many other places in Asia, public displays of attention between members of the same sex is discouraged, but holding hands with members of the same sex is fine and demonstrates friendship. Dress should be modest, even at beaches. Aggressiveness is particularly frowned on, except for the required push and shove to get on buses, and time is often describe as “rubber.”