Chinese Indonesians: Stereotyping, Discrimination and anti-Chinese Violence in the context of Structural Changes up to May 1998 Riots

Abstract

Considering this notion of a separate group, Chinese are seen through stereotypes and prejudices. Seemingly insignificant, yet influential, by the nature of stereotypes Chinese always had to deal with the consequences of bearing this label. The first implication was that Chinese were treated differently from all other ethnic groups in Indonesia. Different treatments were closely related to discriminatory acts. During the colonial time, Chinese were placed in a different class, suffered residential segregation, and were required to hold a pass to travel outside the Chinese areas. Discriminations against Chinese were continuously in the next periods of Indonesian history. It was getting worse during the New Order. The government then officially established legal discriminatory regulations against Chinese (Lindsey in Lindsey and Pausacker 2005:50-56). This was in contradiction with the assimilation process where Chinese-origin people were “forced” to abolish their cultural background of and became more “Indonesian” (Coppel, Mabbett and Mabbett 1982:8).