Loa Sek Hie

Loa Sek Hie Sia (1898, Batavia – 1965, The Hague) was a colonial Indonesian politician, parliamentarian and the founding Voorzitter or chairman of the controversial, ethnic-Chinese self-defense force Pao An Tui (1946–1949).

[10][1] From 1928 until 1951, he served on the Executive Board of Chung Hwa Hui (CHH), a center-right political party that advocated change through cooperation with the Dutch colonial state.

[11][12][13] As parliamentarian, Loa worked closely with Hok Hoei Kan, chairman of CHH, to abolish discriminatory policies against Chinese subjects of the colony.

[1] Around 1929, he provided a character reference to the government for Liem Bwan Tjie, a well-known architect whose return from overseas had been obstructed due to suspected communist sympathies.

[16] 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.

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.

Sukarno consulted Loa Sek Hie on issues ranging from Dutch business interests to Freemasonry in Indonesia, but generally ignored the latter's advice.