Chinese Indonesians Reassessed The Chinese in Indonesia form a significant minority of about 3 percent of the population, and have played a disproportionately important role in the country. Given that Chinese Indonesians are not seen as indigenous to the country and are consistently defined against Indonesian nationalism, most studies on the commu­ nity concentrate on examining their ambivalent position as Indonesia's peren­ nial "internal outsider." Chinese Indonesians Reassessed argues for the need to dislodge this narrow nationalistic approach and adopt fresh perspectives which acknowledge the full complexity of ethnic relations within the country. The focus of the book extends beyond Java to explore the historical development of Chinese Indonesian communities in more peripheral areas of Indonesia, such as Medan, the Riau Islands and West Kalimantan. It reveals the diverse religious practices of Chinese Indonesians, which are by no means confined to "Chinese" religions, and the celebration of "Chinese" ethnic events. Presenting a rich array of his tor­ ical and contemporary case studies, the book goes beyond national stereotypes to demonstrate how Chinese Indonesians interact with different spaces and envi­ ronments to establish new Chinese Indonesian identities which are complex and multi-faceted. The book engages with a larger global literature concerned with diasporic Chinese identities and practices and offers sophisticated and empiri­ cally grounded insights on the commodification of ethnic cultures and religions. Siew-Min Sai is Assistant Professor in the History Department at the National University of Singapore. Chang-Yau Hoon is Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Singapore Management University. Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series 1 Land Tenure, Conservation 7 Violent Conflicts in Indonesia and Development in Southeast Analysis, representation, Asia resolution Peter Eaton Edited by Charles A. Cappel 2 The Politics of Indonesia- 8 Revolution, Reform and Malaysia Relations Regionalism in Southeast Asia One kin, two nations Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Joseph Chinyong Liow Ronald Bruce St John 3 Governance and Civil Society 9 The Politics of Tyranny in in Myanmar Singapore and Burma Education, health and Aristotle and the rhetoric of environment benevolent despotism Helen James Stephen McCarthy 4 Regionalism in Post-Suharto 10 Ageing in Singapore Indonesia Service needs and the state Edited by Maribeth Erb, Peggy Teo, Kalyani Mehta, Priyambudi Sulistiyanto and Leng Leng Thang and Carole Faucher Angelique Chan 5 Living with Transition in Laos 11 Security and Sustainable Market integration in Southeast Development in Myanmar Asia Helen James Jonathan Rigg 12 Expressions of Cambodia 6 Christianity, Islam and The politics of tradition, identity Nationalism in Indonesia and change Charles E. Farhadian Edited by Leakthina Chau-Pech Gllier and Tim Winter 13 Financial Fragility and 22 Community, Environment and Instability in Indonesia Local Governance in Indonesia Yasuyuki Matsumoto Locating the Commonweal Edited by Carol Warren and John 14 The Revival of Tradition in F McCarthy Indonesian Politics The deployment of adat from 23 Rebellion and Reform in colonialism to indigenism Indonesia Edited by Jamie S. Davidson and Jakarta's security and autonomy David Henley polices in Aceh Michelle Ann Miller 15 Communal Violence and Democratization in Indonesia 24 Hadrami Arabs in Present-day Small town wars Indonesia Gerry van Klinken An Indonesia-oriented group with an Arab signature 16 Singapore in the Global System Frode F Jacobsen Relationship, structure and change 25 Vietnam's Political Process Peter Preston How education shapes political decision making 17 Chinese Big Business in Casey Lucius Indonesia The state of the Capital 26 Muslims in Singapore Christian Chua Piety, politics and policies Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir, 18 Ethno-religious Violence in Alexius A. Pereira and Bryan S. Indonesia Turner From soil to God Chris Wilson 27 Timor Leste Politics, history and culture 19 Ethnic Politics in Burma Andrea Katalin Molnar States of conflict Ashley South 28 Gender and Transitional Justice The women of East Timor 20 Democratization in Post- Susan Harris Rimmer Suharto Indonesia Edited by Marco Bunte and 29 Environmental Cooperation in Andreas Ufen Southeast Asia ASEAN's regime for trans- 21 Party Politics and boundary haze pollution Democratization in Indonesia Paruedee Nguitragool Golkar in the Post-Suharto era Dirk Tomsa 30 The Theatre and the State in 38 Local Politics in Indonesia Singapore Pathways to power Terence Chong Nankyung Choi 31 Ending Forced Labour in 39 Separatist Conflict in Indonesia Myanmar The long-distance politics of the Engaging a pariah regime Acehnese diaspora Richard Horsey Antje Missbach 32 Security, Development and 40 Corruption and Law in Nation-Building in Timor-Leste Indonesia A cross-sectoral assessment The unravelling of Indonesia's Edited by Vandra Harris and anti-corruption framework Andrew Goldsmith through law and legal process Simon Butt 33 The Politics of Religion in Indonesia 41 Men and Masculinities in Syncretism, orthodoxy, and Southeast Asia religious contention in Java and Edited by Michele Ford and Bali Lenore Lyons Edited by Michel Picard and Remy Madinier 42 Justice and Governance in East Timor 34 Singapore's Ageing Population Indigenous approaches and the Managing healthcare and end of 'New Subsistence State' life decisions Rod Nixon Edited by Wing-Cheong Chan 43 Population Policy and 35 Changing Marriage Patterns in Reproduction in Singapore Southeast Asia Making future citizens Economic and socio-cultural Shirley Hsiao-Li Sun dimensions Edited by Gavin W Jones, 44 Labour Migration and Human Terence H Hull and Maznah Trafficking in Southeast Asia Mohamad Critical perspectives Michele Ford, Lenore Lyons and 36 The Political Resurgence of the Willem van Schendel Military in Southeast Asia Conflict and leadership 45 Singapore Malays Edited by Marcus Mietzner Being ethnic minority and Muslim in a global city-state 37 Neoliberal Morality in Hussin Mutalib Singapore How family policies make state and society Youyenn Teo 46 Political Change and 53 Journalism and Conflict in Territoriality in Indonesia Indonesia Provincial proliferation From reporting violence to Ehito Kimura promoting peace Steve Sharp 47 Southeast Asia and the Cold War 54 The Technological State in Edited by Albert Lau Indonesia The co-constitution of high 48 Legal Pluralism in Indonesia technology and authoritarian Bridging the unbridgeable politics Ratno Lukito Suljikar Amir 49 Building a People-Oriented 55 Party Politics in Southeast Asia Security Community the Clientelism and electoral ASEANway competition in Indonesia, Alan Collins Thailand and the Philippines Edited by Dirk Tomsa and 50 Parties and Parliaments in Andreas Ufen Southeast Asia Non-partisan chambers in 56 Culture, Religion and Conflict Indonesia, the Philippines and in Muslim Southeast Asia Thailand Negotiating tense pluralisms Roland Rich Edited by Joseph Camilleri and Sven Schottmann 51 Social Activism in Southeast Asia 57 Global Indonesia Edited by Michele Ford Jean Gelman Taylor 52 Chinese Indonesians Reassessed 58 Cambodia and the Politics of History, religion and belonging Aesthetics Edited by Siew-Min Sai and Alvin Cheng-Hin Lim Chang-Yau Hoon Chinese Indonesians Reassessed History, religion and belonging Edited by Siew-Min Sai and Chang-Yau Hoon I~ ~~o~!~:~~~UP LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint ofthe Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 selection and editorial material, Siew-Min Sai and Chang-Yau Roon; individual chapters, the contributors The right of the editor to be identified as the author ofthe editorial material, and ofthe authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 ofthe Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Chinese Indonesians reassessed: history, religion and belonging / edited by Siew-Min Sai and Chang-Yau Roon. p. cm. -- (Routledge contemporary Southeast Asia series; 52) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Chinese--Indonesia. I. Sai, Siew-Min. II. Roon, Chang-Yau. III. Series: Routledge contemporary Southeast Asia series; 52. DS632.3.C5C4732013 305.895'10598--dc23 2012013922 ISBN: 978-0-415-60801-5 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-09536-2 (ebk) ISBN: 978-0-415-82165-0 (pbk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Bookcraft Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire Contents List of illustrations Xl Notes on contributors XlI Acknowledgments XIV Introduction: a critical reassessment of Chinese Indonesian Studies 1 SlEW-MIN SAl AND CHANG-YAU HOON 1 The Tiong Hoa Hwee Koan School: a trans border project of modernity in Batavia, c. 1900s