HOWEVER, MANY INDONESIAN CHINESE” DO NOT KNOW WHERE FAMILY IS FROM.”
” Semarang is rich in history. However, the background of its Chinese society is not well-studied … there has not been little consideration given to these tombs”, said Pippo.
Much of this story was lost in the late 1960s, when anti-communist – and by extension, anti-Chinese – views swept across the country.
In response to these views, then-president Suharto, who ruled the country with an iron fist for the next three years, ordered a ban on Chinese literature, society and figures and forced the government’s Chinese people to choose Indonesian-sounding names.  ,
” A lot of Chinese citizens, especially in my technology, no longer know what their Chinese names are. They don’t talk a syllable of Taiwanese”, said Bram Luska, 38, Pippo’s companion and the restaurant owner who stumbled on Semarang’s oldest grave.
Bram, who is only aware that their nickname was either Ng or Huang, said,” They don’t know where their home is from or when their ancestors first came to Indonesia.
” That is terrible. Because this is our history, traditions and identity”, he said.