The Chinese in Indonesia - A Socio-Cultural History

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The history of the Chinese in Indonesia is that of a remarkable people who ventured there with little except their business acumen. When the Dutch took control of the archipelago they used these skills of the Chinese to exploit the riches of their new colony. Many Chinese became wealthy like the Dutch, creating resentment and jealousy in the indigenous Indonesians. Consequently there have been a number of anti-Chinese riots, the most devastating of which occurred in Jakarta, Solo and Palembang in May 1998. Over and above wide-ranging destruction of Chinese property and businesses, the most repugnant aspect of the riots was the raping and murder of women and girls accompanied by calls of Allahu Akbar (God is Great). Why was God called upon to witness and justify such atrocities? The savagery of the attacks suggest that, in spite of government policies directed at assimilating and integrating the Chinese, there is still a strong and brittle undercurrent of anti-Chinese feeling remaining. Wealthy Chinese can escape the country should violence erupt, but the fate of the less affluent Chinese remains precarious. Time will tell if the Chinese in Indonesia can live and work in peace.