Arabs in java during the Japanese occupation, 1942-45: image of the Arabs in the eyes of the Japanese

Abstract

World War II is considered a difficult time for Hadramis in both Southeast Asia and Hadramawt. Java, Malay Peninsula, Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia, the most important destination for Hadrami migrants, came under the Japanese rule and was secluded from the rest of the diaspora. It meant a sudden stop of remittance from the region to Hadramawt, which eventually resulted in an economic crisis of the homeland and a heavy toll of lives. Even after Japan's defeat in August 1945, the movements of people and goods (especially money) between the two regions were not restored to the level of pre-war period, and the network of Hadrami migrants in the Indian Ocean considerably declined by the 1960s. Therefore, it can be said that World War II was a turning point of the Hadrami diaspora. Despite the importance of the period, however, not much is known on the situation of Hadramis in Southeast Asia under the Japanese due to the problems of source materials. What was the policy of the Japanese military government toward the Arabs? How did the Japanese recognize the small but relatively influential minority group and expect its members to behave? The present paper discusses the Arabs' position in the society of Java during the Japanese occupation. In the discussion, three historical sources that contain information on the recognition of the Arabs by the Japanese are introduced. Through the analysis of the texts, the present writer shows the expected role of the Arabs as an ethnic group during the occupation.