Indonesia's initiation of democratic reforms in May 1998 did not portend well for Chinese Indonesians. Scarred by years of discrimination and forced assimilation under Suharto, many Chinese Indonesians were uncertain—once again—about what the "new" Indonesia had in store for them. Ray Hervandi, Project Assistant at the East-West Center in Washington, argues that Indonesians need to "restart a civil conversation that examines how [Chinese Indonesians fit] in Indonesia's ongoing state- and nation-building project. In the process, this conversation will have to reconsider Chinese Indonesians' locus in the nation."

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the East-West Center or any organization with which the author is affiliated.

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