Family and education Loa was born in
Pasar Baru,
Batavia in 1898 into one of the city's most prominent families, part of the '
Cabang Atas' or
Peranakan Chinese gentry of Java. His grandfather was the tycoon
Loa Po Seng, of Jalan Poseng in Pasar Baru, while his father,
Loa Tiang Hoei, served as
Kapitein der Chinezen of Pasar Baru. His adoptive and stepmother, Tio Bit Nio, was a first cousin of
Tio Tek Ho, 4th Majoor der Chinezen of Batavia. In November 1917, Loa married
Tan Pouw Nio, daughter of
Tan Liok Tiauw Sia and granddaughter of
Tan Tiang Po, Luitenant der Chinezen, the
Landheeren or landlords of
Batoe-Tjepper.
Colonial career Loa was appointed to the
Gemeenteraad (the municipal council) of Batavia in 1919, and to the
Volksraad (the parliament of colonial Indonesia) in 1927. . As parliamentarian, Loa worked closely with
Hok Hoei Kan, chairman of CHH, to abolish discriminatory policies against
Chinese subjects of the colony. Liem stayed at the Loa family residence, and helped remodel it – a project that became the architect's first commission back in the Indies. In 1940, Loa was appointed by
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands as an Officer of the
Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his civic service. When the
Second World War broke out, Loa was apprehended by the occupying Japanese forces due to his perceived closeness with the Dutch colonial state. He was interned for much of the war, and was released in 1945.
Revolution In the feverish atmosphere that followed the end of the War and the start of the
Indonesian Revolution, he deemed it important for the Chinese community to be able to defend its interests militarily. So, Loa became one of the founders of
Pao An Tui, which many revolutionaries later accused to be a fighting, pro-Dutch militia. He served as
Voorzitter, or chairman, of the organization's Central Committee. Pao An Tui received both arms and funding from the
Allies, but also obtained the support of Indonesia's first Prime Minister,
Sutan Sjahrir. During the tenure of the
Netherlands Indies Civil Administration, Loa acted as an advisor in the emergency cabinet of
Hubertus van Mook, the country's acting Governor-General. After it became clear that
Indonesia was to attain independence, Loa supported the
federal movement. Federalism, however, did not gain widespread popular support due to perceived Dutch patronage. With the defeat of federalism by the centralist faction, led by
Sukarno and
Mohammad Hatta, Loa withdrew from the political sphere.
Emigration and death Sukarno consulted Loa Sek Hie on issues ranging from Dutch business interests to Freemasonry in Indonesia, but generally ignored the latter's advice. Loa left Indonesia for the
Netherlands in 1964. He was
naturalized as a Dutch citizen in 1965, and died in
The Hague later that same year. ==See also==