Indonesia: Treatment of ethnic Chinese; whether violence directed towards ethnic Chinese is confined to Jakarta or occurs throughout the country; internal flight alternatives; update to IDN30567.E of 28 November 1998 on state protection available to ethnic Chinese
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IDN30780.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Indonesia: Treatment of ethnic Chinese; whether violence directed towards ethnic Chinese is confined to Jakarta or occurs throughout the country; internal flight alternatives; update to IDN30567.E of 28 November 1998 on state protection available to ethnic Chinese, 1 January 1999, IDN30780.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab203c.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
For general information concerning the treatment of ethnic Chinese in Indonesia please consult the following attached documents: BBC Online 16 Feb. 1998, "Indonesia's Ethnic Tension: A Chronology"; Washington Post 23 Dec. 1998, "Ethnic Chinese: Indonesia's Scapegoat"; New Straits Times 26 Dec. 1998, "Discriminatory Laws that Led to Ethnic Hatred", and the Indonesia entry from the Human Rights Watch World Report. 1999, attached to IDN30779 of 7 January 1999.
As the following examples illustrate, violence directed at the ethnic Chinese majority has occurred in several cities and is not confined to Jakarta. In August 1998, there were reports of anti-Chinese violence in the towns of Cilicap (AFP 29 Aug. 1998) and Lhokeseumawe (AFP 31 Aug. 1998; Inquirer 1 Sept. 1998). In September 1998 attacks and looting of Chinese owned businesses were reported in Kebumen, Central Java (CNN 8 Sept. 1998), in Medan, Pinrang and Jakarta (ABC News 15 Sept. 1998) and in Bagansipapi-api (Media Indonesia 17 Sept. 1998). In October 1998 the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) reported the murder of an ethnic Chinese woman connected with the investigation into the alleged mass rapes of ethnic Chinese women during May 1998 riots in Jakarta (OMCT 14 Oct. 1998). Reports of attacks continued in November 1998, with looting and burning of shops in Jakarta's Chinese district reported (AFP 14 Nov. 1998a; ABC News 23 Nov. 1998). On 3 January 1999 AFP reported that a shop owned by a member of the ethnic Chinese minority was burned in North Sulawesi.
Information on the state protection available to ethnic Chinese additional to that found in IDN30567 of 26 November 1998 is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Bisnis Indonesia reported on 12 August 1998 that the military commander in East Java "guaranteed security" in an attempt to convince ethnic Chinese not to flee. Several media reports refer to police and military personnel being sent to areas affected by ethnic violence to restore order and in one instance providing shelter to ethnic Chinese who had been targets of violence (CNN 8 Sept. 1998; Fox News 3 Sept. 1998).
Information on internal flight alternatives for ethnic Chinese is also scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Some reports of ethnic Chinese preparing to flee Indonesia indicate that they intended to seek protection abroad (Bisnis Indonesia 12 Aug. 1998; AFP 14 Nov. 1998b).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
ABC News. 23 November 1998. "Ethnic Riots Rock Jakarta." [Internet] <http://more.abcnews.com> [Accessed 6 Jan. 1998]
_____. 14 September 1998. "Riots Hit Indonesia." [Internet] <http://more.abcnews.com> [Accessed 6 Jan. 1998]
Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong, in English]. 3 January 1999. "Indonesia: Indonesian Mobs Burn Police Post, Ransack Shop." (FBIS-EAS-99-003 3 Jan. 1999/WNC)
_____. 14 Nov. 1998a. "Indonesia: Mobs 'in Thousands' Approach Jakarta Chinatown." (FBIS-EAS-98-318 14 Nov. 1998/WNC)
_____. 14 Nov. 1998b. "Indonesia: Looters Block Roads to Jakarta Airport." (FBIS-EAS-98-318 14 Nov. 1998/WNC)
_____. 31 August 1998. "Indonesia: Mobs Go On Rampage in Aceh After Pullout of Troops." (FBIS-EAS-98-243 31 Aug. 1998/WNC)
_____. 29 August 1998. "Indonesia: Angry Mob Goes On Rampage in Indonesian Fishing Port." (FBIS-EAS-98-241 29 Aug. 1998/WNC)
Bisnis Indonesia (Internet Version) [Jakarta, in Indonesian]. 12 August 1998. "Indonesia: Ethnic Chinese Urged not to Flee Indonesia." (FBIS-EAS-98-223 11 Aug. 1998/WNC)
CNN. 8 September 1998. "Indonesian Police Use Batons to Disperse Protestors." [Intenet] http://images.cnn.com [Accessed 6 Jan. 199]
Fox News. 3 September 1998. Firdia Lisnawati. "Ethnic Chinese Seek Shelter in Military Offices in Indonesia." [Internet] <http://www.foxnews.com> [Accessed 6 Jan 1999]
The Inquirer [Philadelphia]. 1 September 1998. Christopher Torchia. "Economy Ailing, Riots Hit Indonesia." [Internet] <http://www.phillynews.com> [Accessed 6 Jan. 1999]
Media Indonesia (Internet Version) [Jakarta, in Indonesian]. 18 September 1998. "Indonesia: Situation in Bagansiapi-api Town 'Normal' After Riots." (FBIS-EAS-98-260 17 Sept. 1998/WNC)
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT). 14 October 1998. "Urgent Action: Indonesia: Murder of Chinese-Indonesian Woman in Jakarta." [Internet] <http://www.derechos.org/omct/actions> [Accessed 8 Dec. 1998]
Attachments
BBC Online. 16 February 1998. "Indonesia's Ethnic Tension: A Chronology." [Internet] <http://news.bbc.co.uk> [Accessed 5 Jan. 1999]
Washington Post. 23 December 1998. Keith B. Richburg. "Ethnic Chinese: Indonesia's Scapegoats." [Internet] <http://search.washingtonpost.com> [Accessed 6 Jan. 1999]
New Straits Times. 26 December 1998. Abdul Razak Ahmad. "Discriminatory Laws That Led to Ethnic Hatred." (NEXIS)
