PANGKALPINANG – As Indonesia’s largest tin producer, Bangka Belitung is rich in natural resources and has a long and diverse history of Chinese civilization.
Since the 18th century, Chinese migrants have come to Bangka Belitung to work as tin miners, leaving a lasting cultural and historical legacy.
According to Bangka Belitung historian and cultural expert, Dato Akhmad Elvian DPMP, the arrival of Chinese tin miners in Bangka Belitung in 1722 was due to Sultan Ratu Anom Komaruddin signing a tin trade contract with the VOC. This agreement required the Sultan to increase tin production to 30,000 pikul per year.
To meet this demand, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin I Jayowikromo brought in Chinese mining workers from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Pattani, Johor, and the Malay Peninsula in 1724.
"The miners were brought in from China because of the large quantity of tin that needed to be produced," Elvian explained.
Aside from increasing the workforce, the arrival of Chinese miners also introduced new mining techniques, such as the kulit and kulong kulit methods.
"The Chinese workers became miners in Bangka to introduce new technology. This required them to live near the mines because the process of opening the soil layers took approximately 7 to 8 months before tin could be found and extracted," he added.
On the corporate side, PT Timah, as the successor to the historical tin management companies in Indonesia—such as BTW, GMB, NV SITEM, and PN Timah—has continued to employ Chinese-Bangka workers, particularly in mining operations, where they are known as 'Kepala Parit' (Parittew) due to their expertise.
Discussing the acculturation and assimilation of the Chinese community in Bangka Belitung, Elvian highlighted the importance of Chinese expertise in PT Timah’s operations.
"For example, in the pewter industry, the skills of Bangka’s Chinese community are essential for PT Timah. The acculturation and assimilation between the Chinese and indigenous Bangka communities have resulted in a unique Peranakan (mixed heritage) identity, which is also considered in various company activities, including corporate social responsibility (CSR), even if these activities are no longer directly related to tin mining," he noted.
To maintain diversity and harmony among different ethnic and religious groups in Bangka Belitung, Elvian hopes that more programs will focus on economic, religious, social, and cultural aspects.
"I hope PT Timah continues to play a role in preserving inter-ethnic harmony in Bangka Belitung. This will help ensure that fundamental needs and community bonds remain strong and well-maintained," he stated.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission XII of the House of Representatives Bambang Patijaya said that the Chinese ethnicity is an inseparable part of tin mining in Bangka Belitung.
"In history, Chinese workers were brought to Bangka Belitung to work in the tin mining sector. Even though not all of them are in mining today, their historical connection to tin mining remains significant," said Bambang Patijaya.
The legislator, often called BPJ, also stressed that the tin mining industry continues to be the backbone of the region's economy. (*)
