Chinese Indonesians reflect on life 25 years from Soeharto’s fall

Aurelia Vizal is part of the post-Soeharto generation and is learning more about her Chinese Indonesian identity [Courtesy of Aurelia Vizal]

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia’s strongman Soeharto stepped down 25 years ago this week after protests and unrest across the archipelago, some of which targeted the country’s ethnic Chinese minority.

Soeharto’s departure – after more than 30 years in power – brought new freedoms not only for Indonesians, who are mostly Muslim, but also for Chinese Indonesians who had endured government-sponsored discrimination since colonial times and often been the focus of violence for their perceived wealth.