Many Armenian merchants from Amsterdam went to Southeast Asia in the 19th century to trade, and to set up factories and plantations.

In 1808, with a growing community, George Manook (Gevork Manuch Merchell) along with others, securing 25,000 Guilders from the Dutch Government, established schools and a church.

In 1852 Haileian Miabanse Thioen in Batavia, helped to open orphanages and schools for Armenian children.

In 1865, names like Galistan, Lazar, Joseph Amir, Manook, Arakiel Navaran, and Stefan Arathoon appeared in commercial almanacs.

Most of the original Armenian community, however, has left Indonesia after the independence, however, there was an estimated number of less than a hundred people that still residing there, including in Java.