Seminar-cum-Book Launch: From “Indonesian Form” to “Chinese Indonesian Form”: Indonesian Government Policies Towards the Chinese and their Impact

ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute organised a seminar titled “From “Indonesian Form” to “Chinese Indonesian Form”: Indonesian Government Policies towards the Chinese and their Impact” on 17 September 2015.


Dr Leo Suryadinata, ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow and Dr Ooi Kee Beng, Deputy Director, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute organised a seminar titled, “From “Indonesian Form” to “Chinese Indonesian Form”: Indonesian Government Policies towards the Chinese and their Impact” on 17 September 2015.
The seminar discussed on the impact of Indonesian government policies on its Chinese ethnic minority and the evolving identity of the minority group. Some of the questions addressed included:

    • Do the Chinese Indonesians now form a unified minority group or do they remain fragmented?
    • Will the rise of China affect their position, and how will they relate to Indonesia’s nation-building process?
The speaker, Dr Leo Suryadinata, ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow, also launched the latest edition of his book, Prominent Indonesian Chinese: Biographical Sketches (4th Edition).

The book presents biographical sketches of about 530 prominent Indonesian Chinese, including businessmen, community leaders, politicians, religious leaders, artists, sportsmen/sportswomen, writers, journalist, academics physicians, educators and scientists. First published in 1972, it was revised and developed into the present edition.