Professor Vincent JH Houben (Federal Republic of Germany) gave a presentation on Migrant Labor in Java.

Professor Vincent JH Houben's presentation addressed the history of labor migration from Java, Indonesia, to other regions outside Indonesia that were formerly Dutch colonies. By clearly describing the realities of labor recruitment, labor laws, and working conditions for Javanese people in various locations, he summarized the characteristics of this migration process and the importance of studying its history.

According to Professor Vincent JH Houben, the history of migrant labor in Java during the colonial period contains many interesting issues, with elements common to migration and slavery worldwide in general, and unique characteristics of each region in particular. Specifically, migrant labor in Java also took the form of wage labor on colonial plantations. Professor Vincent JH Houben argues that this form of labor lies between slavery and free labor, meaning that while not having the status of a slave, it was subject to the control of a contract and the employing agency.

Professor Vincent JH Houben (Photo: Jackie Chan)

However, in each region where Javanese laborers migrate, they experience different working conditions. In New Caladonia, a former French colony, Javanese laborers are treated equally with French workers, employed as domestic servants, given opportunities to learn French, and even converted from Islam to Christianity. In North Borneo, a British colony, they face harsh and negative working conditions, starvation, labor abuse, irregular wages, and are considered a lower class. The migrant labor mortality rate in New Caladonia is also significantly lower than in North Borneo. Furthermore, there are places where migrant laborers are treated fairly and fairly, yet the mortality rate is very high, such as Malaya. All of this creates a diverse picture of migration flows in different regions, requiring researchers to have a thorough understanding of labor survey data and to make comparisons and contrasts across different areas.

Through an analysis of the history of labor migration in Java, Professor Vincent JH Houben suggests that this history can be used for comparison and contrast with the history of labor migration in other countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Maldives. From this, we see that the history of Javanese labor migration is part of the broader transnational history of labor and migration, although each region has its own unique characteristics. Therefore, we need to combine national history, using regional studies as a research tool, with transnational and global history to build a comprehensive picture of any historical issue.

At the end of the presentation, many faculty members and students asked Professor Vincent JH Houben questions about related issues.