It has been suggested that The Indonesian Ethnic Chinese and the view of nationhood be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

For decades, the use of Chinese characters was banned in Indonesia. But in 2004, even presidential candidates, such as Megawati Sukarnoputri and Wahid Hasyim, used them in their campaign posters for the presidential election.

The Indonesian Chinese (Mandarin: Yin du ni xi ya Huaren (印度尼西亞華人) Hakka: Thong ngin, Min: Teng lang, Bahasa Indonesia: Tionghoa Indonesia, or (derisively) China totok) are ethnically Chinese people living in Indonesia, as a result of hundreds of years of overseas Chinese migration. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Map showing Bangka-Belitung province in Indonesia Bangka-Belitung is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... Map of Indonesia showing West Kalimantan province West Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Barat) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the third largest island of Indonesia after Borneo (of which Kalimantan belongs to Indonesia) and New Guinea. ... Map showing South Sulawesi province within Indonesia South Sulawesi (Indonesian: Sulawesi Selatan) is a province of Indonesia, located on Sulawesi island. ... Min Nan, Minnan, or Min-nan (Simplified Chinese: 闽南语; Traditional Chinese: 閩南語; Pinyin: MǐnnányÇ”; POJ: Bân-lâm-gú; Southern Min or Southern Fujian language) is the Chinese language/dialect spoken in southern Fujian province, China and neighboring areas, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora. ... Hakka (Simplified Chinese: 客家话, Traditional Chinese: 客家話, Hakka: Hak-ka-fa/-va, pinyin: Kèjiāhuà) is a Chinese dialect/language spoken predominantly in southern China by the Hakka ethnic group and descendants in diaspora throughout East and Southeast Asia and around the world. ... The Chaozhou language , also called Teochew, Teochiu, Tiuchiu, or Diojiu, is a dialect of the Chinese spoken variant of Minnan 閩南, spoken in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. ... Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: BÄ›ifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ... The Javanese language is the spoken language of the people in the central and eastern part of the island of Java, in Indonesia. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: å„’å­¦, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ ] , literally The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus, whom they regard as a/the Christ. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian: مسلمان) is an adherent of Islam. ... Han Chinese (Simplified Chinese: 汉族; Traditional Chinese: 漢族; Pinyin: hànzú) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... Malays (Dutch, Malayo, ultimately from Malay: Melayu) are a diverse group of Austronesian peoples inhabiting the Malay archipelago and Malay peninsula in Southeast Asia. ... Image File history File links Mega-Hasyim-CH.jpg Summary Made by Meursault2004 on April 9, 2005 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Mega-Hasyim-CH.jpg Summary Made by Meursault2004 on April 9, 2005 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Megawati Sukarnoputri Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (born 23 January 1947), was President of Indonesia from July 2001 to 20 October 2004. ... Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: BÄ›ifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ... The Hakka (Traditional Chinese: 客家; Simplified Chinese: 客家; Pinyin: kèjiā, lit. ... Min can be: é—½ Mǐn, an abbreviation for the Chinese province of Fujian Min, a category of spoken Chinese found in Fujian and elsewhere Min, a kingdom in modern-day Fujian during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Min River (Fujian) å²· Mín, a place name in the Chinese... Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language of Indonesia and a remarkable language in several ways. ... Overseas Chinese, more properly translated as Chinese residing abroad (華僑 in pinyin: huáqiáo, or 華胞 huábāo, or 僑胞 qiáobāo, or 華裔 huáyì) are Chinese citizens living abroad (not necessarily overseas). ...

Indonesian Chinese people are diverse in their origins, timing and circumstances of immigration to Indonesia, and level of ties to China. Many trace their origins to the southern parts of China, such as the Fujian, Hainan and Guangdong provinces. Broadly speaking, there were three waves of immigration of the ethnic Chinese to Southeast Asia in general and Indonesia in particular. The first wave was spurred by trading activities dating back to the time of Zheng He's voyage, the second wave around the time of the Opium War, and the third and last wave around the first half of the 20th century. Chinese Indonesians whose ancestors immigrated in the first and second waves, and have thus become creolised or hua-na (in Hokkien) by marriage and assimilation, are called Keturunan Chinese. The more recent Chinese immigrants and those who are still culturally Chinese, are called Orang Tiong Hoa. Although there used to be a sizable spread of Indonesian Chinese in the rural areas, the largest populations of Indonesian Chinese today are in the cities of Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Pekan Baru, Semarang, Pontianak, Makassar, Palembang and Bandung, partially due to Anti-Chinese legislation in Indonesia. Fujian (Chinese: 福建; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal System Pinyin: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of China. ... Hainan (Chinese: 海南; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located at the southern end of the country. ... Guangdong (Simplified Chinese: 广东; Traditional Chinese: 廣東; Pinyin: GuÇŽngdōng; Wade-Giles: Kuang-tung; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangtung or Canton Province, Jyutping: gwong2 dung1), is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Zheng He wearing formal official dress Zheng He (Traditional Chinese: é„­å’Œ; Simplified Chinese: 郑和; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Cheng Ho; Birth name: 馬三寶 / 马三宝; pinyin: MÇŽ SānbÇŽo; Arabic name: Hajji Mahmud) (1371–1433), is the most well-known Chinese mariner and explorer and fleet Admiral, who made the voyages collectively referred to... There were two Opium Wars between Britain and China. ... Hoklo (pronounced Holo; Chinese ; Mandarin pronunciation--pinyin: Fulao) can refer to an ethnic-cultural group originating in Fujian province, China. ... Motto: Jaya Raya (Indonesian): Prosper and Great Founded 22 June 1527 Governor Sutiyoso Area 661. ... Surabaya (formerly Soerabaja) is Indonesias second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. ... Location of Medan in Indonesia. ... Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau province, Indonesia. ... Semarang is a city on the north coast of the island of Java, Indonesia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... Bandung is also the name of a Malaysian drink. ... Discriminatory laws against Indonesian Chinese are laws, directives, or constitutions enacted by the government of Indonesia against Indonesian Chinese. ...

Demographics

The economic activities and wealth of the Chinese community in Indonesia is hugely diverse; many are farmers and small-scale merchants, and others are businessmen. Most are identified as ethnic Chinese in official documents, but many are not, for a variety of reasons. In many parts of Indonesia, however, they are represented among the wealthier classes out of proportion with their small numbers. According to a survey of corporations listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange, the Indonesian Chinese community was thought to own or operate a large fraction of major Indonesian corporations. This is a result of a long government restriction for Chinese Indonesians from going into academia, public service and other governmental occupations. However, some believe that this estimate overestimates the influence of the Indonesian Chinese on the economy: for example, despite being considered to be under control of the Indonesian Chinese in the research, the Salim Group is actually controlled by Liem Sioe Liong, two pribumi relatives of then President Suharto, and Ibrahim Risyad, an Acehnese associate of one of Suharto's cousins. Bursa Efek Jakarta (BEJ) or Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) is a stock exchange based in Jakarta, Indonesia. ... Sudono Salim (Chinese: 林绍良, Liem Swie Liong or Leim Sioe Liong) (born 10 September 1915), an ethnic-Chinese Indonesian (Indonesian Chinese) of Hok-Chia (Fu Qing Province in China) origin, is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Indonesia, although it is widely suspected that his successes are through bribery...

Such simplifications fuel the stereotype that Indonesian Chinese people are all extremely wealthy, a common perception in Indonesian society. In part as a result of this perceived dominance of the economy, Indonesian Chinese community has frequently been viewed with suspicion by indigenous (Pribumi) Indonesians. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Origins

Most Indonesian Chinese are descended from ethnic groups originally from the south-eastern part of China. These ethnic groups include:

• Hakka
• Hainan
• Hokkien
• Cantonese
• Hokchia
• Teochew

The Hakka (Traditional Chinese: 客家; Simplified Chinese: 客家; Pinyin: kèjiā, lit. ... Hainan (Chinese: 海南; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located at the southern end of the country. ... Hoklo (pronounced Holo; Chinese ; Mandarin pronunciation--pinyin: Fulao) can refer to an ethnic-cultural group originating in Fujian province, China. ... Cantonese people (Traditional Chinese: 廣東人; Simplified Chinese: 广东人; Pinyin: GuÇŽngdōng rén; Jyutping: gwong2 dung1 yan4), broadly speaking, are persons originating from the present-day Guangdong province in southern China. ... Teochiu can refer to: Chaozhou(潮州), a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, China. ...

Ethnic concentrations

• Hakka - Aceh, North Sumatra, Batam, South Sumatra, Bangka-Belitung, Lampung, Java, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Ambon and Jayapura.
• Hainan - Riau (Pekanbaru and Batam), and Menado.
• Hokkien - North Sumatra, Pekanbaru, Padang, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Java, Bali (especially in Denpasar and Singaraja), Banjarmasin, Kutai, Sumbawa, Manggarai, Kupang, Makassar, Kendari, Central Sulawesi, Manado, and Ambon.
• Cantonese - Jakarta, Makassar and Manado.
• Hokchia - Java (especially in Bandung, Cirebon, and Surabaya), Banjarmasin
• Teochew - North Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra, and West Kalimantan (especially in Pontianak and Ketapang).

Aceh (IPA pronunciation: , pronounced approximately AH-chay, but with [e], not [ei] at the end) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... Map of North Sumatra province within Indonesia North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Batam is one of the islands in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia, 415 km², with about 600,000 inhabitants, of whom about 85% are of Malay-Indonesian origin and 14% are Chinese. ... Map of South Sumatra province in Indonesia South Sumatra or Sumatera Selatan is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Bangka can refer to: the former name of Wanhua district of Taipei City Bangka Island, an island of Indonesia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Belitung, formerly known as Billiton, is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. ... Map showing Lampung province in Indonesia Lampung is a province of Indonesia, located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... The term Java can refer to: In geography: Java (island), Indonesia, the most populous island in the world Javanese language, a language widely spoken on the island of Java Java coffee, a variety of coffee plant which originated on the island of Java, or a slang word for coffee Java... Map of Indonesia showing West Kalimantan province West Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Barat) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Map showing South Sulawesi province within Indonesia South Sulawesi (Indonesian: Sulawesi Selatan) is a province of Indonesia, located on Sulawesi island. ... Ambon may refer to two geographical places. ... Jayapura City (Kota Jayapura) is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. ... Map of Indonesia showing Riau province Riau is a province of Indonesia, located in the center of Sumatra island along the Strait of Malacca. ... Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau province, Indonesia. ... Batam is one of the islands in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia, 415 km², with about 600,000 inhabitants, of whom about 85% are of Malay-Indonesian origin and 14% are Chinese. ... Manado or Menado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. ... Map of North Sumatra province within Indonesia North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau province, Indonesia. ... Padang is the main capital of West Sumatra in Indonesia. ... This article is about the province of Indonesia. ... Map of South Sumatra province in Indonesia South Sumatra or Sumatera Selatan is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Map showing Bengkulu province in Indonesia Bengkulu is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... The term Java can refer to: In geography: Java (island), Indonesia, the most populous island in the world Javanese language, a language widely spoken on the island of Java Java coffee, a variety of coffee plant which originated on the island of Java, or a slang word for coffee Java... Bali is an Indonesian island located at , , one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... Gajah Mada Str. ... Singaraja is the second largest city in Bali, Indonesia after Denpasar. ... Banjarmasin is the capital of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. ... Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. ... Kupang is the capital of the Indonesian province East Nusa Tenggara. ... Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. ... Kendari is the capital of the Indonesian province of South East Sulawesi. ... Map of Central Sulawesi province within Indonesia Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah) is one of Indonesias provinces located in the heart of Sulawesi Island. ... Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. ... Ambon may refer to two geographical places. ... Motto: Jaya Raya (Indonesian): Prosper and Great Founded 22 June 1527 Governor Sutiyoso Area 661. ... Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. ... Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. ... The term Java can refer to: In geography: Java (island), Indonesia, the most populous island in the world Javanese language, a language widely spoken on the island of Java Java coffee, a variety of coffee plant which originated on the island of Java, or a slang word for coffee Java... Bandung is also the name of a Malaysian drink. ... Cirebon (formerly Cheribon) is a city on north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. ... Surabaya (formerly Soerabaja) is Indonesias second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. ... Banjarmasin is the capital of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. ... Map of North Sumatra province within Indonesia North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Map of Indonesia showing Riau province Riau is a province of Indonesia, located in the center of Sumatra island along the Strait of Malacca. ... Map of South Sumatra province in Indonesia South Sumatra or Sumatera Selatan is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... Map of Indonesia showing West Kalimantan province West Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Barat) is one of the provinces of Indonesia. ... A pontianak or kuntilanak (as known in Indonesia, sometimes shortened to just kunti) is a type of vampire in Malay folklore. ...

History

Pre-independence History

Race relations between Indonesian Chinese and native Indonesians have always been problematic. Some commentators trace this to the Dutch era when colonial policy favored ethnic Chinese - and in so doing established their economic dominance over the region. The caste system established by the Dutch also made it disadvantageous for ethnic Chinese (and members of other races) to assimilate into the native population: this would mean being put in the third estate, the lowest one, together with the natives. Ethnic Chinese, on the other hand, together with Arabs and other Foreign Orientals were put in the second estate, just a notch beneath the first estate, a category reserved for Europeans and, ironically, Japanese and Siamese nationals as well. In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ...

Colonial race politics aside, many ethnic Chinese were supporters of colonial rule. Indeed, in the early years of the Netherlands East Indies, ethnic Chinese helped strengthen Dutch domination in the region. Souw Ben Kong, the Kapitan Cina of Banten, for example, organized a large-scale immigration of Chinese under his rule to Batavia in the seventeenth century. This significantly destabilized the Bantenese economy, thus facilitating Dutch conquest of the Sultanate. As a reward, Souw was made the first Kapitein der Chinezen of Batavia. His successors, the Kapiteins and, later, the Majoors der Chinezen of Batavia, were given landed fiefdoms and the hereditary title of Sia by the colonial government. Between them, these aristocratic Peranakan families controlled a great deal of Java's land and wealth. Through the officership system, moreover, they governed the Peranakan and ethnic Chinese population of Batavia. The system was later extended to other centers of Dutch power in Java and parts of the rest of the archipelago. ^{[citation needed]} Motto: Jaya Raya (Indonesian): Prosper and Great Founded 22 June 1527 Governor Sutiyoso Area 661. ...

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, most of these families underwent rapid westernization. By the early decades of the twentieth century, many of them (especially those domiciled around Batavia) had become more "Dutch" than the Dutch themselves: the Sias were consequently some of the strongest proponents of colonial rule. Their hold over the economy, however, was systematically destroyed by the very government they supported in the 1920s and 1930s. Following Queen Wilhelmina's speech to the Estates General, the Dutch Parliament, in which she insisted that a "moral debt" was owed to the people of the East Indies, the colonial government implemented its so-called "social policy". This was aimed at ending feudalism in Java and breaking up the large estates of the Peranakan aristocracy. At this period the native aristocracy did not own much land due to their belief that influence on citizens, rather than ownership of land, is the base of their power. The native aristocracy owes their employment to the Dutch in the civil service. The Dutch compulsory acquisition of Peranakan fiefdoms destroyed many of the older landowning families. While some managed to go into business successfully, most former Sias (their title became obsolete by the 1940s) were swamped in economic power by Totok Chinese. This latter group remains, even today, the most powerful economic group in Indonesia. ^{[citation needed]} Westernization (or westernisation) is a process whereby traditional, long-established societies come under the influence of Western culture in such matters as industry and technology, law, politics and economics, lifestyle and diet, language and the alphabet, religion and values. ... For other uses, see Wilhelmina (disambiguation). ...

The Chinese Indonesians built their first schools in Surabaya in the 1920s — one of the first non-Western schools in Java — and by the 1960s many Chinese schools had been established in the major cities. The first Chinese newspapers were also printed during this era, and several Chinese political parties were established. These political parties range from those who saw themselves as part of the Indonesian nationalism movement, and those who felt that Chinese Indonesians are still Chinese citizens, a question that was left unresolved for many decades. ^{[citation needed]} Surabaya (formerly Soerabaja) is Indonesias second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. ...

Indonesian National Revolution

During the Indonesian National Revolution many Chinese Indonesians supported the Independence movement. The BPUPKI -- Body for Investigating Preparation Attempts of Indonesia's Independence (Badan Penyelidik Usaha-usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia) -- included six ethnic Chinese members who contributed to the drafting of the Indonesian Constitution in 1945. Moreover, the Chinese weekly Sin Po was the first to openly publish the text to the national anthem Indonesia Raya in November 1928. This article describes the events that led to Indonesian independence from the Netherlands in the late 1940s. ...

There was discussion on the formation of all-Indonesian Chinese units in the war for Independence [2], similar to the formation of the all-Japanese American Nisei units in World War Two. This suggestion was ultimately rejected, and the ethic Chinese were urged to instead join their local pro-Independence groups instead. In 1946 the Consul General of the Republic of China Chiang Chia Tung expressed in Malang that the ROC supported Indonesia's independence. Serving from 1999 to 2003, Army General Eric Shinseki of Hawaii became the first Asian American military chief of staff. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... See also: consulate (disambiguation). ... Motto: None Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei City (de facto) Nanjing (de jure)1 Largest city Taipei City Official language(s) Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang Establishment Xinhai Revolution   - Declared October...

Post-independence and New Order Era

In the 1960s many government regulations, such as PP 10/1959, restricted the Indonesian Chinese from the rural areas, and forced many to relocate to the big cities. Moreover, political pressures in the 1970s and 1980s restricted the role of the Indonesian Chinese in politics, academics and the military. As a result, they were since then constrained professionally to becoming entrepreneurs and professional managers in trade, manufacturing, and banking. In the 1970s, following the failed alleged Communist coup attempt in 1965, there was a strong sentiment against the Indonesian Chinese, who were accused of being Communist collaborators. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Discriminatory laws against Indonesian Chinese are laws, directives, or constitutions enacted by the government of Indonesia against Indonesian Chinese. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Most Indonesian Chinese are not Muslim, further fomenting negative sentiments from the mostly Muslim native Indonesians. This is ironic in light of the fact that some of the earliest Muslim evangelists in Java (who were called the Wali Songo or 'The Nine Ambassadors') were of Chinese ancestry. A historical theory even suggests that the first people who brought Islamic faith to Indonesia were the Chinese traders, especially those who came to Semarang under the leadership of Sam Po Kong or Admiral Zheng He (Zheng He himself was not a Han, but a Muslim from a minority ethnic group in China). A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian: مسلمان) is an adherent of Islam. ... Semarang is a city on the north coast of the island of Java, Indonesia. ... Zheng He wearing formal official dress Zheng He (Traditional Chinese: 鄭和; Simplified Chinese: 郑和; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Cheng Ho; Birth name: 馬三寶 / 马三宝; pinyin: Mǎ Sānbǎo; Arabic name: Hajji Mahmud) (1371–1433), is the most well-known Chinese mariner and explorer and fleet Admiral, who made the voyages collectively referred to...

Various government policies banned Chinese language teaching, speaking, and publication. Established schools and colleges run by Chinese-Indonesian foundations were nationalized and their facilities seized without compensation and converted to state or pribumi-run schools, such as Universitas Res Publica, which became Universitas Trisakti. A presidential directive forced Indonesian Chinese to abandon their Chinese names and adopt Indonesian names. Anti-Chinese sentiments increased among the pribumi Indonesians and anti-Chinese pogroms were frequent. In identity cards, all Chinese Indonesians were designated as "WNI" (Warga Negara Indonesia = Citizen of Indonesia), a euphemism for "ethnic Chinese" as opposed to just "Indonesian" for the pribumi Indonesians. This made it easy for government officials to extract bribes and side payments, and has been compared to Jews under Hitler being required to wear the Star of David badge on their chests. Ethnic Chinese must hold certificates of having rejected Chinese citizenship, despite being native-born and having lived in Indonesia for generations. Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngw n) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: H nyǔ, Hu yǔ, or Zhōngw n) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Discriminatory laws against Indonesian Chinese are laws, directives, or constitutions enacted by the government of Indonesia against Indonesian Chinese. ... Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western culture. ... // Colonial Era to 1965 During the Dutch colonial era until Japan invasion in 1942, the Dutch administration recorded Chinese names in birth certificates and other legal documents using an adopted spelling convention that was based primarily on Hokkien (Min-nan-yu), the language of the vast majority of Chinese immigrants...

These highly discriminatory laws are believed by some as a concerted government effort at cultural genocide. Those Chinese Indonesians who could not stand the discrimination fled. The Totoks returned to mainland China (only to catch themselves trapped in Cultural Revolution), and the Peranakans to the old masters' country, the Netherlands.

In 1998, preceding the fall of Suharto's 32-year presidency, big riots targeted the Chinese Indonesians, pogrom style. It is verified and confirmed that Chinese homes were looted and burned, and many Chinese people were raped or killed[3]. The events in 1998 were significant because unlike earlier pogroms against Indonesian Chinese, due to the Internet this incident spread world wide in real-time, arousing the interest and feelings of the ethnic Chinese in China and other countries, leading to demonstrations against Indonesia in many countries with significant Chinese populations and protests to the government of Indonesia. After the tragedy, a large number of Chinese Indonesians fled to other countries, such as USA, Australia, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Adding insult to injury, Habibie, the unpopular president after Suharto, ridiculed the fleeing Chinese as being unpatriotic. Ironically, Habibie himself left Indonesia to live in Germany after his performance report (pidato pertanggungjawaban) was rejected by the new, democratically elected parliament in 1999. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Haji Mohammad Soeharto (born June 8, 1921), more commonly referred to as simply Soeharto (Suharto in the English-speaking world), is a former Indonesian military and political leader. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot, a massive violent attack on a particular group; ethnic, religious or other, primarily characterized by destruction of their environment (homes, businesses, religious centers). ... Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot, a massive violent attack on a particular group; ethnic, religious or other, primarily characterized by destruction of their environment (homes, businesses, religious centers). ...

Because of discrimination, most Chinese Indonesians were not politically active and could not lobby for legislation to protect their own interests despite their economical affluence. The situation is different in neighboring Malaysia where the overseas Chinese have been both politically and economically active despite being a minority in a similar environment (better off economically in a Muslim majority country).

Despite laws and sentiments against the Indonesian Chinese, many have succeeded in fields other than business, most notably in the sport of badminton, the most popular competitive sport in Indonesia. Indonesian athletes dominated the sport from the 1960s to the 1990s. Many of the beloved players and coaches are Chinese Indonesians, such as Tan Joe Hok, Rudy Hartono, Christian Hadinata, Tjun Tjun, Johan Wahjudi, Ade Chandra, Liem Swie King, Ivana Lie, Verawaty, Susi Susanti, Alan Budikusuma, Ardy Wiranata, and Heryanto Arbi. The Danish Olympic badminton player Peter Gade Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles). ... Rudy Hartono Kurniawan (born August 18, 1949) was an Indonesian badminton player who won the world championship in 1980, and the All-England Champions trophy 8 times in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Christian Hadinata (born Purwokerto, Central Java, 11 December 1949) is an Indonesian badminton player who won the world championship. ... Liem Swie King (林水鏡, pinyin: Lin Shuijing) (born February 28, 1956) was an Indonesian badminton player in the late 1970s and 1980s who competed in singles and some doubles events. ... Lucia Francisca Susi Susanti (born Tasikmalaya, West Java 11 February 1971) is an Indonesian badminton player. ... Alan Budikusuma was the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in Badminton. ...

Recent history

The condition for Indonesian Chinese has improved, with new government regulations that allow the practice of Chinese cultures without prior limitations, and efforts to improve race relationships. The Chinese culture is starting to be embraced by even the popular media, widely covering Chinese New Year celebrations and even TV shows on Feng Shui. The formerly derogatory term referring to Chinese Indonesians -- Cina -- is slowly being replaced by the old term Tionghoa. A small number of Indonesian Chinese are now involved in Indonesian politics, one of whom (Kwik Kian Gie) was appointed minister in 1999. Chinese New Year decoration in Londons Chinatown Hand-painted Chinese New Years poetry pasted on the sides of doors leading to peoples homes, Lijiang, Yunnan, China. ... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ... Indonesian coordinating minister of economics and finance 1999-2000; minister of national development planning 2001-2004. ...

The reversal of key discriminating laws which were intended to force assimilation into the local culture means that the Indonesian Chinese are now in an era of re-discovery. Mandarin language lessons are widely available and are popular not only among the Indonesian Chinese. Mandarin has become a popular foreign language option in Indonesian schools. Attending an extensive program in a language school in Beijing or other cities is also a popular option for many Indonesian Chinese who were barred from learning Chinese during their formative years. Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: Běifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ... Beijing (Chinese: 北京; Pinyin: Běijīng; ; IPA: ), a city in northern China (formerly spelled in English as Peking or Peiking), is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ...

See also

• Famous Indonesian Chinese
• Anti-Chinese legislation in Indonesia
• Jakarta Riots of May 1998
• Demographics of Indonesia
• Malaysian Chinese
• Peranakan
• Overseas Chinese
• The Indonesian Ethnic Chinese and the view of nationhood
• Indonesian-sounding name adopted by Indonesian Chinese

Below is the list of famous Indonesian Chinese: // Politics Oei Tjoe Tat, Old Order politician and once President Soekarnos advisor Soe Hok Gie, political analyst and activist in 1960s Arief Budiman (Soe Hok Djin), scholar in political studies. ... Discriminatory laws against Indonesian Chinese are laws, directives, or constitutions enacted by the government of Indonesia against Indonesian Chinese. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Indonesias 242 million people make it the worlds fourth-most populous nation. ... Malaysian Chinese are overseas Chinese who reside in Malaysia. ... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya (峇峇娘惹) and Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits of Malacca) are terms used for the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have... Overseas Chinese, more properly translated as Chinese residing abroad (華僑 in pinyin: huáqiáo, or 華胞 huábāo, or 僑胞 qiáobāo, or 華裔 huáyì) are Chinese citizens living abroad (not necessarily overseas). ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... // Colonial Era to 1965 During the Dutch colonial era until Japan invasion in 1942, the Dutch administration recorded Chinese names in birth certificates and other legal documents using an adopted spelling convention that was based primarily on Hokkien (Min-nan-yu), the language of the vast majority of Chinese immigrants...

References

• Mark Landler, "Indonesia's Ethnic Chinese Feel Their Neighbors' Wrath," New York Times, May 16, 1998
• Ong Hok Ham. "Riwayat Tionghoa Peranakan di Jawa (Story of Chinese Descendant in Java): A Collection of Ong Hok Ham's Articles in Star Weekly 1958-1960". Komunitas Bambu. 2005
• "Correcting the myth about the dominance of ethnic Chinese in Indonesian business," Business World (Philippines), 8 January 1999
• Tim Johnson, "Chinese diaspora: Indonesia," BBC News
• The Myth of Chinese Domination, By George J. Adijondro ([4])
• Indonesia Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1998 by the U.S. Department of State [5].
• INDONESIA: Five years after May 1998 [6]