Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia sent out many Balinese missionaries to outlying areas like Medan. In 1992, the Parisada hosted the Vishva Hindu Parishad conference in Bali, indicating a building of bridges with the worldwide Hindu community. It is the highest religious body in Bali and is given an official sanction by the government to look into matters of Hindu law. The PHDI in this manner has become a rallying organization for the preservation of Hindu customs. The PHD has contested Indonesia's demographic counts, saying that the 6,501,680 count (given by the government of Indonesia) grossly undercounts the Hindu population, stating that it is closer
Indonesia million by 2050. Around 8 million Indonesians live overseas, with most of them settled in Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Singapore, United States, and Australia. Indonesia is a very ethnically diverse country, with around 300 distinct native ethnic groups. Most Indonesians descend from Austronesian-speaking peoples whose languages can be traced to Proto-Austronesian, which possibly originated in what is now Taiwan. Another major grouping are the Melanesians, who inhabit eastern Indonesia (Maluku Islands and Western New Guinea). The Javanese are the largest ethnic group, comprising 40.2% of the population. They are predominantly located in the central to