The Dark End of the Massacre at Batavia's First Chinese Hospital

JAKARTA - There is a special bond between Dutch and Chinese ethnicity. Since 1619, the beginning of the Colonial period in Jayakarta, the two nations have always maintained a harmonious relationship. Especially, the VOC Governor-General, Jan Poeterszoon Coen, regarded Chinese people as golden children.

For Coen who served in 1619-1623 and 1627-1629, the hardworking nature of the Chinese was a blessing. They could give the Netherlands many advantages. Coen granted various privileges to the Chinese people.

One of them was the construction of a special Chinese hospital, Yangju Yuan in 1640. The hospital was built in Batavia for the poor.

Denys Lombard, in the book Nusa Jawa Silang Budaya Volume II (2005), explained that the establishment of the hospital was a form of prosperity that was gained by the Chinese in Batavia. This was the way of the Dutch caressing second class citizens who played an important role in the economic movement in Batavia.

"We know that in 1640, the Chinese people in Batavia had their own hospital. And thanks to a variety of wealth, the hospital lasted into the 18th century," wrote Lombard.

The 2nd head of China, Phoa Bing Gam was the figure behind the construction of the hospital. He was the initiator of the establishment of the hospital at Jalan Tiang Bendera I, Kota Tua (Oud Batavia).

Alwi Shahab, in the book "Batavia Kota Hantu" (2009), strengthened this explanation. He said, thanks to the wealthy Chinese captain, all the Chinese were then moved and worked together to build a Chinese hospital to help the urban poor.

The hospital needs were taken from a few percent of the tax levied on all Chinese people. Including the cost of the head tax imposed on October 9, 1620. Four years since its initiation, the Chinese hospital was founded.

The building was made of bamboo structures blended with stone walls. Sometime after that, around 1661 to 1667, the building was renovated.  The Chinese people with great solidity worked together to repair the hospital building structure using brick walls.

In 1729, the building was expanded. "This Chinese hospital was very complete. It is said that it was even better than the Dutch hospital," said Alwi Shahab.

However, the shape of the building was indeed not important. The hospital was known to be unlucky. Like the Dutch hospital - now the Bank Indonesia Museum. Even though it had a better building, the two hospitals were often called 'the grave'. This is because many patients died instead of recovered. 

In fact, compared to the Dutch-owned hospitals, Chinese hospitals were filled with experienced doctors. Plus, Chinese hospitals are also equipped with better facilities.

"Among them, there were very good Chinese doctors. They understood the pulse and analysis in diagnosing a patient's illness and curing it," said a VOC employee who lived in Batavia at the end of the 17th century, Johann Wilhelm Vogel in the journal Leben und Schicksale des berhmten Reisebeschreibers Johann Wilhelm Vogel (1912).

The Dark story

Unfortunately, Chinese hospitals didn't last long.  The event of the Chinese massacre, or known as the "chinezenmoord" incident in 1740, also became the end of the hospital's life. At that time, everyone who was treated in the hospital was also the victim of the VOC's revenge, who fought the Chinese rebellion the day before. 

Hospital patients were slaughtered by the VOC, regardless of women, elders, or children. A detailed description of the incident was revealed by G.B Schwarzen in the book Reise in Oost-Indien (1751). He wrote his experience of being trapped in an event, or also known as a tantrum of marriage.

"At one o'clock in the afternoon, the city started burning because of the Chinese people. They wanted to burn themselves rather than fall into the hands of the VOC. Up to five people hung themselves from the blocks of their house. To make matters worse, the massacre continued to the hospitals owned by the Chinese. We were told to kill all patients except the blind," said Schwarzen.

It is recorded that ten thousand Chinese people were victims of the massacre in the incident. The whole city of Batavia was flooded with blood.  The streets were full of corpses and some corpses were dumped at the river. The river water even turned red.

Following the massacre, Chinese hospitals were left empty for decades. However, in the end, the hospital was dismantled by the gementee (local government) shortly after the Dutch established a large hospital called Centrale Burgelijke Ziekenhuis (CBZ). After Indonesian independence, the hospital changed its name to the National Central General Hospital (RSUPN) Dr.  Cipto Mangunkusomo.

Later, it was discovered that the Dutch colonial government dismantled the hospital because the owner had a verponding debt that had been running for decades. But, the current generation can still see traces of the greatness of Chinese hospitals even though the building is gone. 

Johannes Rach's painting (1720-1783) became the dedication of the hospital. In the painting entitled Het gezigt van het Spinhuys met het Seneese Hospitaal staande op de Spinhauys Gragt af te zien van de hoek aan de terse Straat, we can see the shape of Chinese hospitals in the 18th century. At the same time, a prostitution house is seen standing right next to it.