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Indonesian Ethnic Conflict Causes

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Causes to Indonesia’s Ethnic Conflicts Ei Hnin Phyu Aung International School of Myanmar Never in the human history has there been a country that never faces problems. Hence, it is also not surprising that Indonesia has ethnic conflicts; the country is comprised of more than 1,000 different ethnic groups and subgroups. It seems impossible for all ethnicities in Indonesia to coexist without a problem. On May 21, 1998, thirty two years of dictatorship in Indonesia came to an end with President Suharto stepping down from his power. This event caused many controversies in Indonesia. In the early years, when Indonesia was transitioning from military dictatorship to democracy, there were serious episodes of ethnic conflicts. …show more content…

The Chinese Indonesians were known for their wealth after Suharto came to power. Even though the ethnic Chinese is a minority with a population of less than three percentage of Indonesia’s total population, they still hold major economic positions, control many of the food distribution networks, and have connection to the political classes. The fact that Chinese Indonesians received economic privileges from the government over other ethnic groups caused the publics’ “Anti-Chinese” feelings to grow. Due to the repression under the Suharto rule, other ethnic groups could not speak up for the economic injustice. As a result, the uprising in May 1998 eventually led to the end of dictatorship. Resentment and hatred towards Chinese Indonesians spewed upward. Hundreds of Chinese Indonesians became the target of public in the chaos. The districts that Indonesia’s ethnic Chinese minorities lived at were mostly destroyed. A mob burned the building and looted the shops owned by Chinese Indonesians. According to BBC news, more than 1,000 people died and it was believed that scores of ethnically Chinese women and girls were raped (Franciska, 2014, para.3). Christine Drake, professor of Geography, also noted that “economic disparity is a dangerously divisive force that is tearing Indonesia apart” (Kral, …show more content…

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/world/asia/28suharto.html?pagewanted=all Cochrane, Joe. (2001, November 3). Indonesia’s Island Fever. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/indonesias-island-fever-148741 Cordell, Marni. (2013, August, 29). The West Pupuan Independence Movement- A history. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/29/west-papua- independence-history Down to Earth. (2001, May). Behind the Central Kalimantan Violence. Retrieved from http://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org/story/behind-central-kalimantan-violence Franciska, Christine. (2014, July 2). New voting power of Chinese Indonesians. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27991754 Gershman, John. (2002, October 26). Indonesia: Islands of conflict. Retrieved from http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/DJ26Ae05.html Indonesia-Investments. (n.d). Ethnic and Religious Violence in Indonesia. Retrieved from http://www.indonesia-investments.com/business/risks/ethnic-religious-violence/item244 Indonesia-Investments. (n.d). Suharto’s new order: Development of Indonesia under authoritarian Rule. Retrieved from

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