Our team

The Chinese Indonesian Heritage Center relies heavily on volunteers who commit themselves next to their professional or other engagements. Their motivation to volunteer is the awareness that the history of the Chinese Indonesians in the Netherlands is in serious danger of being lost if no effort is made to record and preserve it.
A short information about the members of the CIHC-team is given at the end of the overview.

Board of  the Chinese Indonesian Heritage Center Foundation (CIHC) :

Core team / Activities and Projects Workgroup :
Maya H.T. Liem
Ing Lwan Taga-Tan
Swanny Thee
Wiwi Tjiook
Onnie Tjia (audiovisual aids)

Website/Facebook :

Supplementary team members :
Pay-Uun Hiu
Christopher Ng
Ing Tjwan Oei
Lina Sidarto
Boen Tan

Juul de Moel-Nitisusanta

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PERSONAL BACKGROUND :
BOARD
Patricia Tjiook-Liem, born in Cheribon, came in the Netherlands in 1956. Following her graduation from the Law School of the University of Amsterdam, she attained a Doctorate from Leiden University in 2009 on the subject ‘The legal position of the Chinese in the Dutch East Indies (1848-1942)’. The opportunity to increase attention and public awareness for the underexposed history of the Chinese from Indonesia in the Netherlands, was the decisive factor for her to establish the Chinese Indonesian Heritage Center with Professor Henk Schulte Nordholt of KITLV Leiden.

Kioe Bing Yap, born in Amsterdam in 1956, studied Medicine in Amsterdam. Control of infectious diseases is the area of focus in his work as medical doctor. Having written about his family history in ‘My father from Semarang’, he became involved as secretary of the CIHC Foundation. He is co-authoring a book on the history of the Chinese from Indonesia in the Netherlands.

Dick Iskandar (Que Beng Tjoan), born in Jakarta in 1954, came in the Netherlands with his parents in 1966. He studied Business Administration and Economics (HBO). Deeply interested in his Chinese roots, he became involved with the CIHC Foundation. At present, he is treasurer.

Kian Hiap (Hans) Go was born in Bandung. In 1948, after the Japanese occupation, he left for the Netherlands as a boat student. He graduated in Social Economics from the Rotterdam School of Economics (now Erasmus University) in 1958. “Already in my college years I was interested in the various aspects of the ‘peranakan’ identity. I became involved with CIHC through Patricia Tjiook-Liem and I now advise CIHC on fundraising matters.”

TEAMMEMBERS
Ing Han Go, born in Leiden in 1949, of Chinese father and half-Chinese mother, both from Indonesia. Studied Medicine at the University of Amsterdam, and specialized in Dermatology at the Academic Medical Center (AMC). He is expanding his long time interest in Chinese art and Chinese philosophy into the history of the Chinese from Indonesia in particular. Is keen to volunteer for CIHC, and is currently processing interviews for the Oral History project.

Pay-Uun Hiu, born in Amsterdam in 1960. Chinese father (from Medan) and Dutch mother. Studied Musicology at the University of Amsterdam. Works for ‘De Volkskrant’ newspaper since 1986, initially as music critic, presently as editor-in-chief and as author of the cooking column ‘De Volkskeuken’. Published her book ‘Oranje soep van Witte Wolk’, a culinary quest for my Chinese roots (De Geus Publishers), in 2008. She participates in the oral history project and is co-authoring a book about the history of the Chinese from Indonesia in the Netherlands.

Maya Hian Ting Liem, born in Surabaya, came in the Netherlands in 1966. She graduated in 1987 and attained her Doctorate in 2003 from the department of Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania at Leiden University. Drawn to CIHC’s objectives, she joined the Center in 2011 and is member of the core team / Activities and Projects Workgroup. She also participates in the Oral History project as interviewer.

Juul de Moel-Nitisusanta, born in Surabaya as Lauw Siu Li, came in the Netherlands at the age of 17 with her brother, and entered the third grade of the HBS in Oudenbosch, a Catholic boarding school for girls and boys. She graduated in Mathematics from the Technische Hogeschool in Delft (now Delft University of Technology). She has been involved in CIHC since its inception, and feels it is important that the heritage of the Chinese from Indonesia be preserved as much as possible. She is CIHC’s webmaster.

Christopher Ng, born in Singapore, has been living in the Netherlands since 1997. Graduated in Psychology from Murdoch University (Perth) in 1993, and attained an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management in 1999. He was employed in the business world until 2015. He is interested in the Overseas Chinese of Southeast Asia and is contributor to the website’s column ‘Traditions & Culture’ since 2014. Speaks English, Mandarin, Hakka, Cantonese, Hokkian and Baba Malay.

Ing Tjwan Oei, born in Delft in 1954, moved to Plaju, Sumatra, at the age of seven. Learned both spoken and written Bahasa Indonesia. Returned to the Netherlands in 1962, finished high school, studied Pharmacy at Leiden University, where he graduated in 1979. He is attracted to CIHC’s objectives and project-based approach. Starts volunteering in 2017, and is currently processing interviews for the Oral History project.

Linawati Sidarto, born in Jakarta, came in the Netherlands in 1998. She studied Economics and Linguistics at the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Los Angeles. In CIHC she recognizes her parents’ and family’s background and history. English translations are her major contribution to CIHC.

Ing Lwan Taga-Tan, born in The Hague, came in the Netherlands in 1958. Graduated in Art History from Leiden University in 1977. Her involvement in CIHC since its Open Day in 2011, has opened her eyes for the necessity to preserve the heritage of Chinese Indonesians. She participates in the Oral History project, is web editor, and is co-authoring a book on the history of the Chinese from Indonesia in the Netherlands.

Boen Tan (Surabaya 1959), is cardiologist. He came in the Netherlands in 1960. Interest in family(-history) used to be absent, but has grown over time. It fascinates him to learn how simple enterprising people were able to acquire their present position in Dutch society. He is co-authoring a book on the history of the Chinese from Indonesia in the Netherlands.

Swanny Thee, born in Jakarta, came in the Netherlands in 1967. Graduated in Medicine from the Free University of Amsterdam and attained an MBA degree from the Rotterdam School of Management. She joined the CIHC team at the start of the Oral History project in 2012. She assists in English translations and is member of the core team / Activities and Projects Workgroup.

Onnie Tjia, born in Rotterdam in 1957, of a Dutch mother and a Chinese-Indonesian father. Currently works as landscape architect (Wageningen University and Research Centre) for the Municipality of Rotterdam. Has worked in Indonesia in the past, in which period he developed an interest for the history of the Chinese Indonesians in general, and of his family in particular. Was treasurer for the CIHC foundation from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, he assists in organizing CIHC Open Days, preparing audiovisual material.

Wiwi Tjiook, born in Bandung, came in the Netherlands in 1971. Following her graduation in Landscape Architecture in 1985 from the Wageningen University and Research Centre, she worked in Indonesia for 11 years. She returned to the Netherlands in 1977 and currently works as landscape architect for the Municipality of Rotterdam. Drawn by her interest in her family history and the Chinese-Indonesian culture, she became involved in CIHC from 2011, volunteering in the Oral History project and managing the CIHC-Facebook page.