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Indonesia's Tionghoa tensions: Revival of identity politics against Indonesia's ethnic Chinese

The revival of identity politics and lingering prejudice against the ethnic Chinese community complicate campaigning for Jokowi

Leo Suryadinata For The Straits Times

Identity politics looks to be behind a number of decisions in President Joko Widodo's (far left) re-election campaign. He decided on Dr Ma'ruf Amin, a conservative clergyman, to be his running mate. People visiting a Chinese temple in Denpasar on Bal — People visiting a Chinese temple in Denpasar on Bali island to mark the start of the Chinese New Year last Tuesday. Both presidential candidates Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto were coy about directly addressing the minority group in their tweeted greetings, avoiding addressing them as warga Tionghoa (Chinese Indonesians). PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Updated

Published

Feb 12, 2019, 05:00 AM

Both candidates in Indonesia's upcoming presidential election, Mr Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Mr Prabowo Subianto, seek the support of ethnic Chinese Indonesians.

Yet, in a telling sign of the sensitive state of race relations, both fight shy of openly courting them, as reflected in their formal Lunar New Year greetings on Twitter.

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