What caused the 1998 Indonesia riot?

What caused the 1998 Indonesia riot?

The riots were triggered by corruption, economic problems, including food shortages and mass unemployment. It eventually led to the resignation of President Suharto and the fall of the New Order government, which had been in power for 32 years. It was estimated that more than a thousand people died in the riots.

What happened to the Chinese in Indonesia?

Discrimination against people of Chinese descent in Indonesia has been carried out by governments in Indonesia since the time of the Dutch East India Company. In May of 1998, many Chinese businesses were burned down and many Chinese girls and women were brutally raped and murdered.

Are Chinese Indonesians Indonesians?

Chinese Indonesians (Indonesian: Orang Indonesia keturunan Tionghoa) or (in Indonesian) Orang Tionghoa Indonesia and colloquially Chindos, are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries.

Why are there protests in Indonesia?

A series of mass protests led by students took place at major cities in Indonesia from 23 September 2019, to rally against new legislation that reduces the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as well as several bills including a new criminal code that penalises extramarital sex and defamation …

What percentage of Indonesia is Chinese?

Indonesia is home to around 7 million ethnic Chinese people or 3.3% of the total population.

What omnibus law means?

for everything
The term ‘omnibus’ is derived from the Latin language with the meaning ‘for everything’. So in general, an omnibus law bill is a single bill that may include separate and diverse legal matters but will be processed by legislature as a single document.

Is Nonya a Malay?

Female Straits-Chinese descendants were either called or styled themselves Nyonyas. Nyonya (also spelled nyonyah or nonya) is a Malay and Indonesian honorific used to refer to a foreign married lady.

What happened to ethnic Chinese Indonesians after the 1998 riots?

For ethnic Chinese, long viewed as scapegoats for Indonesia’s economic woes, life after the 1998 riots has been bittersweet. On one hand, more Chinese Indonesians have run for public office and a number of discriminatory laws have been repealed.

What happened on 15 May 1998 in Indonesia?

On 15 May 1998, at roughly 14:20 WIB, thousands of rioters from Surakarta arrived in Boyolali, burning factories, cars, and homes, as well as looting stores near the Boyolali market. Banks were closed due to threats to burn the Bank Central Asia branch in Salatiga, and rioters blocked the road from Semarang to Surakarta.

What was the death toll of the Jakarta riot?

Death toll. Most of the deaths suffered when Chinese owned supermarkets in Jakarta were targeted for looting in May were not Chinese, but the Indonesian looters themselves, who were burnt to death by the hundreds when a fire broke out. The total death toll was around 10,000, and 87 women were reported raped.

Why are Chinese fleeing Indonesia’s Medan?

The Indonesian military flew in reinforcements on Thursday as hundreds of Chinese people fled Indonesia’s third-largest city Medan. The ethnic Chinese have become victims of ongoing rioting which started with student protests against a rise in fuel, electricity and transport prices.

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