<序章> 移動の語りと史実のはざまで

Abstract

This book presents the outcomes of a research project titled “Chinese Indonesian on the Move within the International Relations of 20th Century Asia” (supported by JSPS Kakenhi Grant No. JP24310183). The focus of the project was to reflect on international relationships in 20th Century through the life history of Chinese Indonesians who migrated to other countries as the result of domestic and international affairs; 1) the Indonesian War of Independence between 1945-1949, followed by the establishment of the People’s republic of China in 1949, 2) Presidential Decree No. 10 in 1959 prohibiting foreign nationals from operating small businesses at subdistrict administration levels, 3) the September 30th Movement in 1965, which shifted the country’s policy from pro- to anti-communism, 4) anti-Chinese Indonesian riots in major cities in May 1998, and 6) globalization of the economy. Though the consequences of the history do not manifest themselves in the same way, the process of decolonization and Cold War era political processes had implications for Chinese diasporas in Southeast Asia, including the Chinese Indonesians. However, there is a gap between the studies of Chinese Overseas and efforts to understand individual experiences as reflections of historical events. The papers constituting this book highlight the lives of individual Chinese Indonesians in the post-World War II, including those who (re)migrated to various destinations such as Netherlands (Chapter 1), China (Chapter 3), Hong Kong (Chapter 4), Taiwan (Chapter 5), Malaysia (Chapter 6) , and Japan (Chapter 7). In addition, the evaluation of discourse relating to Presidential Decree No. 10 in 1959 and Chinese Indonesians evacuation to China through analysis of the popular magazine, Liberty (Chapter 2) and Malayan Chinese who were Deported to China by the British colonial government (addendum) are included. In the 21st Century, problems arise with the waves of international movement, including refugees, foreign labors, and even terrorism. This book may not offer an immediate solution to these problems. However, the approaches taken here offer some clues to a deeper understanding of those issues.