We Interviewed Friends Who Show That 'Unity in Diversity' Is Alive And Well in Indonesia

It's easy to forget in racially-charged times such as these that Indonesia's official slogan, the one phrase that's supposed to define this great nation, is "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika." In English it means "Unity in Diversity"—a simple, but powerful assertion that we're all on the same team. It's a requirement in a country like Indonesia, a place with more than 300 ethnic groups, six religions, and hundreds of local languages. We all need to look past our differences and work together for the greater good.

But in recent weeks, racism has once again reared its ugly head. So it's as a good a time as any to track down the tight friends, good mates, and office buddies who show that Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is alive and well in Indonesia.

VICE: So how did you two meet?
Narantara Sitepu: I think I contacted him through Twitter because he was friends with my friends and at that time I wanted him to feature on a lookbook. We bonded over music and making fun of zealots. I think that's what I like most about him, he is unapologetic about his disdain—or love—of everything.

Was there ever a moment where you were particularly aware of your cultural differences?
Narantara Sitepu: No one in our clique is an asshole or a bigot, so no one really sees Jan as Chinese. He's just Jan, the dude who everyone knows. Oh yeah, there was this one time this douche threatened him on Facebook for trolling this other bigot. Me and a couple others came to Jan's defense. That's how you handle bigots, I guess. You can't really be rational with irrational people, so I guess it's better to keep poking fun at them to make others realize how stupid they are.
Januar Kristianto: I supposed that's how you deal with bigots. You challenge their views.

What do you love most about your best friend's cultural background?
Januar Kristianto: I love the fact that I can invite Tara [Narantara] to try all of my comfort foods. Chinese food is a huge deal for me, especially a bowl of noodles. Also, Tara really isn't all that religious, so we bonded over the fact that we're both not so fond of organized religion.

Do you feel like your friendship represents Indonesia's multiculturalism?
Narantara Sitepu: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. We are supposed to embrace it as our strength, not dismiss it for its weaknesses. I am proud of being a person from a multicultural nation rich in traditions and values. It's a shame some numbskulls are trying to rob us of this treasure.
Januar Kristianto: Unity in diversity a.k.a. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika y'all. There's no other way. it's truly an important point! As a person growing up with lots of cultural exposure and friends from all over the globe, I am proud as hell to have experienced it all. It's embarrassing to witness how some people think it's better to live as a homogeneous society. I mean seriously?

Do you ever feel like multicultural relationships are rare in Indonesia?
Narantara Sitepu: I do feel that way in some instances, especially considering how the city is set up. We are, in some ways, pretty segregated. And there are so many malls all over the city that it reinforces the idea that you don't need to "go out of your zone" to live your life. But that's what I love about Jan and his love of food. We take trips everywhere to explore the city. I think that it's important to be willing to explore the city.
Januar Kristianto: In a way, I do think we're united and divided at some points. But it's up to us to decide whether we want to leave our comfort zones and just meet people. talk to them, break past the limits of our views, try new things, and just see the world for what it is. Because that's where you can really feel a sense of diversity, which I think is so crucial to our growth as human beings.

So then what do you say if someone still views people of different cultural backgrounds in a negative way?
Narantara Sitepu: Grow up.
Januar Kristianto: Yeah, c'mon now.

VICE: How did you two become best friends?
Tri Juanita: It was at the office. We haven't been friends for that long, but it feels like it's been forever. We like to share and talk about everything with each other, not just office-related stuff. What I love most about Cecil is that she is my sholat [prayer] alarm. Even though she doesn't pray herself, she is always reminding me when it's time to pray.
Chiecillia Hamdarto: We have our lunch breaks together a lot, and we hang out and share a lot of things. People know of her as the moody one in the office, but once you're close to Nita, you see how caring she and how she doesn't judge people. She is as kind as a sister.

How do people react when they see you two together?
Tri Juanita: There are still people who feel like they need to categorize people into these different boxes. I do get weird stares when we go out together, but I can't blame those who see our friendship as odd because a lot of times, it's our parents who pass down these ideas. If a child doesn't grows up in an environment with different people around, they will pass it along to their children. We have to open our minds to accept the differences.

What do you say to people who still hold racist beliefs?
Tri Juanita: Wake up! We live in Indonesia. We live by Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. Those three words should make you realize that we are called a 'rich country' because of the wealth of our different ethnicities, cultures, and religions. We should be proud because this means there is a wealth of knowledge out there to learn about.

What's your favorite thing about your friend's cultural or religious background?
Chiecillia Hamdarto: Nita celebrates Lebaran, and what I love about it is the gulai ayam (chicken curry). And before Lebaran it's, of course, the fasting month. It's really fun to break fast with her.

Do you ever feel pride in your friendship?
Chiecillia Hamdarto: Of course! It's really important for the next generation to know that they need to experiences these differences too. I'm so proud of our friendship.

Do you ever feel that multicultural relationships are rare in Indonesia?
Chiecillia Hamdarto: Yeah, it's still pretty rare. There are still so many people who need to point out the differences in people. I noticed it when we went to Yogyakarta together. Nita went to pray and I was waiting for her to finish at the mosque. A lot of people were looking at me with curiosity. But it really comes down to the individual.

VICE: How would you describe your friendship?
Ishak Tanoto: It started out as professional relationship, but the longer we worked together, the more I respected his guidance. Eventually, working got more fun as we got to know each other better. I definitely admire his tenacity as a person. It's not easy to be a musician in Indonesia, and to be one and to have a family at the same time? Mad respect.
Edy Saputra: We exchange ideas and talk about religion and race relations. We learned a lot about our friendship by doing this. The point is we come from different backgrounds but we're all just humans.

So how, or when I guess, did you first realize that you two were from different cultures?
Ishak Tanoto: Every time I went out for lunch, I would choose to eat at Chinese restaurant because they serve pork. But then I realized that every time I went out to eat, he would choose to stay back. That's when, silly me, I realized that Muslims don't eat pork. I had to start changing my habits, of course, and look for Halal menus. And then I started to explore other cuisines in the halal sections.

What do you love most about your friend's culture?
Ishak Tanoto: You know, I had never seen a Muslim do his daily prayers so consistently. He does it five times a day, every day, and it's quite amazing. His dedication is, without a doubt, top notch. I remember him telling me that sometimes, when you really want something but don't see a logical way to get it, you need to pray. Prayer opens new doors, he said regardless of your religion.
Edy Saputra: I would say to those who have negative thoughts about other religions, if you want to everyone to believe the same things you do, then you better live in a place where there is only one belief.

VICE: So how'd you meet?
Beta Wicaksono: He had really deep knowledge of IT and was great at fixing stuff, kind of like MacGyver.

How do you see your friendship in the context of the country?
Lex Virgoletha: Well, it all depends on who is looking at it. For me, anyone can be friends or best friends.
Beta Wicaksono: We've celebrated Christmas, Lebaran, Imlek, Cap Go Meh all of them together with some other friends of ours. I'm not specifically 'proud' of our friendship. I'm more 'grateful' for it. Hopefully our friendship can act as an example for other people, in some way or another.

Do you feel like younger people are more or less accepting of other cultures?
Lex Virgoletha: It depends on the person not on the age. I've met older people who are open-minded but also younger people who you'd think were open-minded but they weren't at all. Oh well, too bad. In any relationship, cultural and other differences—whatever—are just a kind of packaging. It's kind of like when you buy a product. It can look good, but what gets us coming back is what's inside.
Beta Wicaksono:People who can't accept differences should leave the planet and live on Namek.