Editing Chinese Indonesians (section)

=== Political activity ===
Between the 18th and early 20th centuries, ethnic Chinese communities were dominated by the ''peranakan'' presence.{{sfn|Skinner|1963|p=105}} This period was followed by the growth of ''totok'' society. As part of a [[Sinicization|resinicization]] effort by the indigenized ethnic Chinese community, a new pan-Chinese movement emerged with the goal of a unified Chinese political identity. The movement later split in the 1920s when ''peranakan'' elites resisted the leadership of the ''totok'' in the nationalist movement, and the two groups developed their own objectives.{{sfn|Dawis|2009|p=79}} When it became apparent that unification was being achieved on ''totok'' terms, ''peranakan'' leaders chose to align their community with the Dutch, who had abandoned the segregation policies in 1908. The two communities once again found common ground in opposition to the invading Japanese when the occupying forces treated all Chinese groups with contempt.{{sfn|Skinner|1963|p=109}}

[[File:Gubernur DKI Basuki TP 鐘萬學.jpg|thumb|upright|200px|[[Basuki Tjahaja Purnama|Ahok]] or ''Chûng Van-ho̍k'' ({{lang-zh|鐘萬學}}), Chinese Indonesian [[Governor of Jakarta]] from 2014 to 2017]]

The issue of nationality, following independence, politicized the ethnic Chinese and led to the formation of [[Baperki]] in 1954, as the first and largest Chinese Indonesian mass organization. Baperki and its majority ''peranakan'' membership led the opposition against a draft law that would have restricted the number of ethnic Chinese who could gain Indonesian citizenship. This movement was met by the Islamic [[Masyumi Party]] in 1956 when it called for the implementation of [[affirmative action]] for indigenous businesses.{{sfn|Purdey|2006|p=9}} During the [[1955 Indonesian legislative election|1955 legislative election]], Baperki received 178,887 votes and gained a seat on the [[People's Representative Council]] (DPR). Later that year, two Baperki candidates were also [[1955 Indonesian Constituent Assembly election|elected]] to the [[Constitutional Assembly of Indonesia|Constitutional Assembly]].{{sfn|Suryadinata|2002|p=133}}

Ethnic-based political parties were banned under the government of President Suharto, leaving only the three indigenous-dominated parties of [[Golkar]], the [[United Development Party]] (PPP), and the [[Indonesian Democratic Party]] (PDI). The depoliticizing of Indonesian society confined ethnic Chinese activities to the economic sector. Chinese Indonesian critics of the regime were mostly ''peranakan'' and projected themselves as Indonesians, leaving the ethnic Chinese with no visible leaders.{{sfn|Suryadinata|2002|p=133}} On the eve of the [[1999 Indonesian legislative election|1999 legislative election]], after Suharto's resignation, the news magazine ''[[Tempo (Indonesia magazine)|Tempo]]'' conducted a survey of likely Chinese Indonesian voters on their political party of choice for the election. Although respondents were able to choose more than one party, 70% favored the [[Indonesian Democratic Party&nbsp;– Struggle|Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle]] (''Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan'', PDIP), whose image of a nationalist party was considered favorable toward the ethnic Chinese. The party also benefited from the presence of economist [[Kwik Kian Gie]], who was well respected by both ethnic Chinese and non-ethnic-Chinese voters.{{sfn|Suryadinata|2002|pp=127–128}}

New ethnic political parties such as the Chinese Indonesian Reform Party (''{{lang|id|Partai Reformasi Tionghoa Indonesia}}'', PARTI) and the Indonesian Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Party (''{{lang|id|Partai Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Indonesia}}'', PBI) failed to garner much support in the 1999 election. Despite this result, the number of Chinese Indonesian candidates standing in national election increased from fewer than 50 in 1999 to almost 150 in 2004.<ref name="Tjhin 21 December 2008" /> Of the 58 candidates of Chinese descent who ran for office as representatives from Jakarta in the [[2009 Indonesian legislative election|2009 legislative election]], two won seats.<ref name="The Jakarta Post 12 June 2009" />