How Bali’s Chinese were accepted and integrated into island society – in contrast to other parts of Indonesia
Chinese Indonesians in Jakarta and other regions often face persecution and discrimination, but those living on the Hindu majority island of Bali say they have never even felt like they were a minority. We look at a history of cultural integration
On a recent business trip to Singapore, Balinese writer Eve Tedja was caught off guard when her chatty taxi driver expressed sympathy for her. She had just told him she was Indonesian of Chinese descent. The cabby’s sentiment didn’t come as a surprise, though. Tedja, 32, says she is often presumed to be a member of a vilified minority group.
“We are seen overseas as this ethnic minority that is constantly being persecuted in Indonesia,” she says. “Where I come from, I have never felt discriminated against or persecuted. In fact, in Bali, I have never even felt like I was a minority.”
The Chinese have a long history on the popular tourist island, and their culture has blended with Bali’s native culture.
Although Islam is the predominant religion in Indonesia, practised by more than 87 per cent of the population, the vast majority of Bali’s roughly four million inhabitants practise Agama Hindu Dharma, a form of Hinduism that incorporates elements of Buddhism and indigenous animism, prevalent in many facets of Balinese life.