ABSTRACT
An English-language online media site published a news article about multiethnic and religious conflicts in Tuban, Indonesia. How did the conflict build on a multi-ethnic and religious background, marking the erection of the Kongco Kwan Kong statue in the backyard of Kwan Sing Bio’s Temple in Tuban? This article will answer the following questions: (1) How intolerance marks multi-ethnic and religious conflicts over the erection of the Kongco Kwan Kong statue? (2) How ethnic and religious backgrounds are characterized in multi-ethnic and religious conflicts in Indonesia? We will use the theory of critical discourse analysis by Theodor W Adorno in revealing the ethnic conflict that marks the construction of the Kwan Kong statue, as reported in the news articles. The results indicated that ethnic and religious background marks the erection of the statue of General Kongco Kwan Kong. In addition, the erection of a statue containing religious symbols triggers religious tension in Indonesia. This article shows that ethnic and religious issues can easily develop and thus spark conflict in Indonesia. Nationalists and religious leaders in the country put political pressure on the Indonesian central government to immediately demolish the statue of the Chinese war general.
