Celebrating Imlek in contemporary Indonesia

Dr Lilawati Kurnia, a lecturer in the Literature Department in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Indonesia, talks about celebrating Imlek at a time when groups like the Bogor Muslim Forum have demanded that the celebrations be banned.

Men perform a dragon dance called Liong ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year during the Grebeg Suro ceremony in Solo, Central Java. Source: Photo -Antara /Mohammad Ayudha/via REUTERS - 03 Feb 2019

How has the atmosphere for celebrating Imlek in Indonesia changed with the emergence of identity politics and growing hostility towards minorities? Dr Lilawati Kurnia describes the positive and negative aspects of celebrating Imlek in contemporary Indonesia.

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