Indonesian pageant embodies Chinese community’s hopes of wider acceptance under Prabowo
- The community faced decades of discrimination under Suharto and has only been integrated into Indonesian society in recent years
On July 14, East Java’s Chinese-Indonesian community turned out in their best Peranakan attire for this year’s final of Koko and Cici – “Mister and Miss” in Hokkien – held in downtown Surabaya, the province’s capital.
Angie Laurentsia, the East Java Koci Foundation chairwoman, said: “This year’s pageant marks its fourth year running. We have gone from strength to strength with each passing year.”
The contest is held annually in 10 of Indonesia’s 37 provinces, including East Java.
Emil Dardak, Deputy Governor of East Java, said: “I’ve come every year to the Koko Cici, and I’ve always been impressed by how far it’s come along.”
The event’s guest of honour, who was accompanied by his actress-wife Arumi Bachsin, said Koko Cici was a “celebration of Indonesia’s diversity” and a “reminder of the glue which binds all the ethnic groups” of the nation.