Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia covers some 13,667 islands, and has a population of 235 million (2007), nearly 60 percent of which live on the island of Java. Some 45 percent of the entire population of the country are ethnic Javanese either living on the island of Java, or on other islands in the archipelago. There are written chronicles of parts of Indonesia, especially Java, going back to before the arrival of the Dutch in 1603, with the Dutch gradually taking over the entire archipelago.

Javanese traditional entertainment revolved around puppet shows with the wayang kulit, the shadow puppets, operating behind a screen, and the wayang golek, stick (or “rod”) puppets operated from below. Javanese folklore, history, and indeed politics are full of allusions to puppeteers, puppet masters, and puppets, and there is a Wayang Museum in Jakarta. Music in Java, and also in some other parts of Indonesia, revolves around the [Page 318]gamelan, a band that plays symbolic music. Each village in Java has at least one gamelan band, and the lore of the village can be expressed in music.

Dances are also common, many focusing on Hindu mythological themes—even though most of Indonesia is now Muslim—with large numbers of them drawing from the Ramayana, as well as local festivals and dances set around the agricultural cycle. On the island of Bali, the only majority Hindu part of Indonesia, Hindu pageant plays were more pronounced, with the Kecak explaining parts of the Ramayana, although some dances such as the Barong dance have been adapted for the large number of tourists who visit the island. Kiteflying, swimming, and sailing, often in boats with outriggers, have been used by many locals, with many also offered for use by tourists.

There has always been a large Chinese population in the country, especially in cities, and Mahjong remains popular, as does Chinese Chess. The Dutch brought with them many European games including the European/Indian version of Chess, although most Indonesian Chess sets have elephants rather than rooks or castles; and the bishops are generally royal “advisers.”

Chess is now taught in many schools, and tournaments in the country, as well as promotion of the game, is undertaken by the Persatuan Catur Seluruh Indonesia. Some games such as Backgammon, and a number of card games, have been popular locally, with imported board games remaining the preserve of the middle class and the elite. The board game Monopoly was so popular in the country that a Jakarta version was produced called Monopoli, with various streets in the Indonesian capital marked. Some schools also teach the piano and other Western instruments, although the guitar is more popular with young Indonesians.

The growth in the local education system in the country from the 1930s led to a rise in recreational sports, with many boys and young men throughout Indonesia being heavily involved in playing soccer, which has rapidly spread around almost every inhabited island in the country. Some teams are supported by companies and local communities. Badminton, basketball, and netball have become popular, especially after the Indonesian badminton team brought back four medals from the Atlanta Olympic Games. Golf remains the sport enjoyed by the wealthy. Indeed, in the late 1990s, during the last period of the Suharto government, political commentators wrote about “golf diplomacy” and “golf politics,” following the appointment of a few of Suharto's golfing partners to senior government positions.

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