The Betawi of Indonesia People Profile

lar until the late 1970’s, interest has since Who are the Betawi? dwindled. Non-profits and charitable organi- Most of Indonesia’s 5 million Betawi people zations are now making deliberate attempts live on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia’s to preserve traditional Betawi art forms. sprawling capital city on the island of Java. Betawi music can still be heard, especially a The Betawi are considered the original somewhat modernized form of gambang Java inhabitants of Jakarta, and are called after kromong. Betawi “Batavia,” the colonial name for the city. Traditional Betawi homes have bamboo walls Betawi ancestry is a mixture of Portuguese, with an open verandah in the front. Indian, Arab, Javanese, Sunda and Balinese, among others. Since the 16th century, these groups have intermingled in the Jakarta area. Beliefs Population: 5 million In addition to intermarrying, they also devel- Location: Jakarta, Indonesia oped a unique form of the Malay language in Most Betawi people are Muslim. Many faith- fully practice Islam, praying five times a day Languages: Betawi, order to communicate. Today, the Betawi are Bahasa Indonesia scattered throughout Jakarta, with the high- and fasting in the month of Ramadan. Even est concentrations living at the outer margins those who are less diligent still find a strong of the city. identity in Islam. All Betawi use the Islamic greeting “Assalamualaikum” when they meet. Prayer Points Languages Despite their strong Muslim identity, many Betawi also have animistic beliefs. They be- The Betawi language is lieve there are spirits that live in trees, bridges Pray that Betawi farmers who have been a Malay dialect with two and graveyards. forced to give up their land would find main forms: kota (city) new ways to support themselves. Betawi, and pinggiran A number of Indonesian followers of Jesus (outskirts) Betawi, each have been reaching out to the Betawi. Pray for followers of Jesus to find ways of which has several However, many Betawi seem indifferent to to become part of Betawi communities subdialects. Among the Good News. Some audiovisual resources and to share the Good News. non-Betawi people have been produced in the Betawi language, in Jakarta, especially but are difficult to distribute openly. While Pray that the Betawi would be open to among the upper class, it is often considered portions of Scripture have been translated hearing about God’s love. “cool” to be able to speak some of the Betawi into Betawi, use of language. Most Betawi people can also speak these resources is Pray for Betawi followers of Jesus that Bahasa Indonesia, the Indonesian national complicated by the they would grow in their faith and that language. diversity of Betawi they would have the courage to reach subdialects. Nor is out to their own people group and it clear how many beyond. Livelihood Betawi people will Urban Betawi often work as merchants, labor- be able to read these Pray for literature to be developed in ers, craftspeople, office staff or government materials, as most each of the main Betawi subdialects. officers. Betawi outside the city are largely Betawi have never Pray that followers of Jesus would find involved in agriculture. Many cultivate rice seen their language creative ways to help the Betawi make or fruit. Some own fish farms. As Jakarta, a in print. use of these resources. megacity of over 14 million people, grows, Nevertheless, some Betawi have decided to the Betawi are increasingly under pressure. follow Jesus, and there is one indigenous Agricultural land has been sold for housing fellowship. The exact number of Betawi fol- developments and industrial complexes, lowers is unknown. forcing many Betawi farmers to look for new occupations. This is complicated by the fact that many adult Betawi have had little formal education. For more information about the Betawi, visit: www.apeopleloved.com/betawi Culture Betawi arts include the topeng, a mask dance, wayang golek, a traditional puppet show and teater lenong, a form of comedic drama. While Betawi arts were fairly popu-

Rev. 02/11

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