Indonesian historian Onghokham’s ‘fearless’ life as gay Chinese man, Java expert celebrated in biography
- The book delves into Onghokham’s struggle to come to terms with his sexuality, his advocacy of Chinese assimilation in Indonesia, and his love for Javanese culture
- After he had a stroke in 2001, Onghokham tasked his close friend and academic David Reeve to work on the biography and share the truth of his colourful life, warts and all
When a prominent Indonesian personality authorises someone to write their biography, the final product almost inevitably takes the form of a hagiography.
The Javanese, Indonesia’s largest ethnic group, have a saying: “Mikul dhuwur, mendhem jero”. It translates to, “when you lift, lift high, but when you bury something, dig deep”. This axiom urges people to highlight good deeds, while simultaneously playing down any flaws that society frowns upon.
But for the late Ong Hok Ham – better known as Onghokham, one of Indonesia’s most celebrated social historians and a known expert on the Javanese – the truth was always a greater objective than any social taboo.
After he suffered a major stroke in 2001 at the age of 68, Ong permitted his friend David Reeve, an Australian academic, to start writing his biography.
“I first met Ong in 1984 at the University of Indonesia, and a close friendship developed over time,” Reeve recalled. “Both Ong and I often said at the time that one day, I should write his biography.”
Reeve said Ong had charged him to “tell everything about his life”, leaving nothing out, including Ong’s sexuality, which had remained a secret from the public.
In the biography, Reeve shares intimate details of Ong’s life as a gay man, his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality and the partners he had over the years.
To support Reeve’s effort, Ong gathered his family members and asked them to offer the Australian their full cooperation, even adding: “I want the family to tell David everything bad about me!”
