▁over se as ▁Indones ians ▁glob ally . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Since ▁ancient ▁times , ▁people ▁from ▁various ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁of ▁Indones ia ▁( then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁arch ip el ago ▁or ▁" N us ant ara ") ▁have ▁been ▁leaving ▁their ▁h omet own s ▁to ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁for ▁purposes ▁of ▁trade , ▁education , ▁labor , ▁or ▁travel . ▁During ▁the ▁colonial ▁era , ▁many ▁Indones ians ▁were ▁sent ▁for ▁ens lav ement ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies ▁to ▁their ▁other ▁colon ies ▁such ▁as ▁Sur in ame ▁and ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁while ▁political ▁diss idents ▁against ▁Dutch ▁colon ization ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁from ▁Indones ia ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁forming ▁a ▁group ▁known ▁as ▁Cape ▁Malays . ▁Some ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁outside ▁of ▁Indones ia ▁also ▁have ▁Indones ian ▁ancest ry ; ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁people ▁are ▁desc ended ▁from ▁Bor neo ▁se af ar ers ▁who ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Mad agas car ▁from ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁Arch ip el ago ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁and ▁ 8 th ▁centuries ▁during ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁mar itime ▁S riv ij aya ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁Mer ant au ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁going ▁abroad ▁has ▁been ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁the ▁Mer ant au ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁Indones ian ▁people ▁since ▁ancient ▁times . ▁Mer ant au ▁has ▁been ▁associated ▁deeply ▁with ▁the ▁Min ang k ab au ▁people