Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-29T22:52:22.089Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Democratization and Ethnic Politics in Indonesia: Nine Theses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2016

Edward Aspinall
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

After the downfall of President Suharto in 1998, communal violence occurred in several Indonesian provinces, producing an image of the country as one characterized by strong ethnic politics. In this article, I propose that this image is mistaken. The political salience of ethnicity has subsided greatly as a new democratic system has settled into place. Overall, Indonesia is a weakly ethnicized polity. Ethnicity still counts in arenas such as local elections, but what prevails is a soft form of ethnic politics, with few of the deep disputes about ethnohistory or cultural policy that occur in more ethnicized polities. Moreover, rather than producing ethnic polarization, democratization has created powerful new norms of compromise. I present this overarching argument by advancing nine general theses on Indonesian ethnic politics and by pointing to explanations concerning institutional crafting, historical legacies, and the deep architecture of politics, notably the prevalence of patronage. Rather than positing definitive answers, I propose new questions and frameworks for investigating the weakness of ethnic politics in contemporary Indonesia.

Keywords

democratizationethnicityIndonesiaethnic conflictnationalismelectionsdemocratic institutions
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , August 2011 , pp. 289 - 319
Copyright
Copyright © East Asia Institute 

References

Aspinall, Edward. 2005. “Elections and the Normalization of Politics in Indonesia.” South East Asia Research 13, 2: 117–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aspinall, Edward. 2007. “The Construction of Grievance: Natural Resources and Identity in a Separatist Conflict.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 51, 6: 950–972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aspinall, Edward. 2009a. “Combatants to Contractors: The Political Economy of Peace in Aceh.” Indonesia 87 (April): 1–34.Google Scholar
Aspinall, Edward. 2009b. Islam and Nation: Separatist Rebellion in Aceh, Indonesia. Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Aspinall, Edward. 2010. “The Irony of Success.” Journal of Democracy 21, 2: 20–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aspinall, Edward. Forthcoming. “How Indonesia Survived: Comparative Perspectives on State Disintegration and Endurance.” In Indonesia, Islam, and Democratic Consolidation [working title], ed. Künkler, Mirjam and Stepan, Alfred. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Aspinall, Edward, Dettman, Sebastian, and Warburton, Eve. 2011. “When Religion Trumps Ethnicity: A Regional Election Case Study from Indonesia.” South East Asia Research 19: 27–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avonius, Leena. 2003. “Reforming Adat: Indonesian Indigenous People in the Era of Reformasi.” Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology 4, 1: 123–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bakker, Laurens. 2008. “The Strong Arm of Indigeneity: Dayak Politics and Militias in East Kalimantan.” Paper presented to Workshop on the State and Illegality in Indonesia, Australian National University, September 22–24.Google Scholar
Bertrand, Jacques. 2004. Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bertrand, Jacques. 2008. “Ethnic Conflicts in Indonesia: National Models, Critical Junctures, and the Timing of Violence.” Journal of East Asian Studies 8: 425–449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, David, and Wilson, Ian. 2007. “Ethnicized Violence in Indonesia: Where Criminals and Fanatics Meet.” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics 13, 3: 367–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brubaker, Rogers. 2002. “Ethnicity Without Groups.” European Journal of Sociology 43: 163–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buehler, Michael. 2009. “The Rising Importance of Personal Networks in Indonesian Local Politics: An Analysis of District Government Head Elections in South Sulawesi in 2005.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 101–124. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Bush, Robin. 2008. “Regional Sharia Regulations in Indonesia: Anomaly or Symptom?” In Expressing Islam: Religious Life and Politics in Indonesia , ed. Fealy, Greg and White, Sally, 174–192. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Chandra, Kanchan. 2004. Why Ethnic Parties Succeed: Patronage and Ethnic Head Counts in India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chandra, Kanchan. 2006. “What Is Ethnic Identity and Does It Matter?” Annual Review of Political Science 9: 397–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Choi, Nankyung. 2007. “Local Elections and Democracy in Indonesia: The Riau Archipelago.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 37, 3: 326–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, Samuel, and Palmer, Blair. 2008. Peaceful Pilkada, Dubious Democracy: Aceh's Post-Conflict Elections and Their Implications. Indonesian Social Development Paper No. 11. Jakarta: World Bank.Google Scholar
Collier, Paul. 2010. Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places. London: Vintage.Google Scholar
Cribb, Robert. 1999. “Not the Next Yugoslavia: Prospects for the Disintegration of Indonesia.” Australian Journal of International Affairs 53, 2: 169–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cribb, Robert. 2001. “Independence for Java? New National Projects for an Old Empire.” In Indonesia Today: Challenges of History , ed. Lloyd, Grayson and Smith, Shannon L., 298–307. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Davidson, Jamie S. 2008. From Rebellion to Riots: Collective Violence on Indonesian Borneo. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
DeVotta, Neil. 2005. “From Ethnic Outbidding to Ethnic Conflict: The Institutional Bases for Sri Lanka's Separatist War.” Nations and Nationalism 11, 1: 141–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dick, Howard, and Mulholland, Jeremy. 2011. “The State as Marketplace: Slush Funds and Intra-elite Rivalry.” In The State and Illegality in Indonesia , ed. Aspinall, Edward and van Klinken, Gerry, 65–85. Leiden: KITLV Press.Google Scholar
Diprose, Rachael. 2002. Putra Daerah: Identity, Grievances, and Collective Action in Indonesia. Honours thesis, University of New South Wales.Google Scholar
Diprose, Rachael. 2006. “Passing on the Challenges or Prescribing Better Management of Diversity? Decentralization, Power Sharing and Conflict Dynamics in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.” Paper presented at the CRISE/University of Oxford Conference on Federalism, Decentralization and Conflict, October 5–7.Google Scholar
Drexler, Elizabeth F. 2008. Aceh, Indonesia: Securing the Insecure State. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.Google Scholar
Duncan, Christopher R. 2009. “Reconciliation and Revitalization: The Resurgence of Tradition in Postconflict Tobelo, North Maluku, Eastern Indonesia.” Journal of Asian Studies 68, 4: 1077–1104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erb, Maribeth, and Anggal, Wilhelmus. 2009. “Conflict and the Growth of Democracy in Manggarai District.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 283–302. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erb, Maribeth, and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi (eds.). 2009. Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esman, Milton J. 1994. Ethnic Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faucher, Carole. 2006. “Popular Discourse on Identity Politics and Decentralisation in Tanjung Pinang Public Schools.” Asia Pacific Viewpoint 47, 2: 273–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faucher, Carole. 2007. “Contesting Boundaries in the Riau Archipelago.” In Renegotiating Boundaries: Local Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia , ed. Nordholt, Henke Schulte and Van Klinken, Gerry, 443–458. Leiden: KITLV Press.Google Scholar
Fauzan, Achmad Uzair. 2009. “Winning the Villages.” Inside Indonesia 97 (July–September).Google Scholar
Fenton, Steve. 1999. Ethnicity: Racism, Class and Culture. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geertz, Clifford. 1959. “The Javanese Village.” In Local, Ethnic and National Loyalties in Village Indonesia , ed. William Skinner, G., 34–41. New Haven: Yale University Cultural Report Series.Google Scholar
Geertz, Clifford. 1960. The Religion of Java. Glencoe, IL: Free Press of Glencoe.Google Scholar
Hadiz, Vedi R. 2003. “Power and Politics in North Sumatra: The Uncompleted Reformasi.” In Local Power and Politics in Indonesia: Decentralisation and Democratisation , ed. Aspinall, Edward and Fealy, Greg, 119–131. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Henley, David, and Davidson, Jamie S.. 2007. “Introduction: Radical Conservatism—the Protean Politics of Adat.” In The Revival of Tradition in Indonesian Politics: The Deployment of Adat from Colonialism to Indigenism , ed. Davidson, Jamie S. and Henley, David, 1–49. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Henley, David, Schouten, Maria J. C., and Ulaen, Alex J.. 2007. “Preserving the Peace in Post-New Order Minahasa.” In Renegotiating Boundaries: Local Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia , ed. Nordholt, Henke Schulte and van Klinken, Gerry, 307–326. Leiden: KITLV Press.Google Scholar
Horowitz, Donald L. 1985. Ethnic Groups in Conflict. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
ICG (International Crisis Group). 2005. Decentralisation and Conflict in Indonesia: The Mamasa Case. Asia Briefing No. 37. Jakarta/Brussels: ICG.Google Scholar
ICG (International Crisis Group). 2009. Local Election Disputes in Indonesia: The Case of North Maluku. Asia Briefing No. 86. Jakarta/Brussels: ICG.Google Scholar
Jacobsen, Michael. 2000. “Indonesia on the Threshold. Towards an Ethnification of the Nation?” IIAS News Letter 22: 22.Google Scholar
Kimura, Ehito. 2010. “Proliferating Provinces: Territorial Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia.” South East Asia Research 18, 3 (September): 415–449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kristiansen, Stein, and Ramli, Muhid. 2006. “Buying an Income: The Market for Civil Service Positions in Indonesia.” Contemporary Southeast Asia 28, 2: 207–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Tania. 2007. “Adat in Central Sulawesi: Contemporary Deployments.” In The Revival of Tradition in Indonesian Politics: The Deployment of Adat from Colonialism to Indigenism , ed. Davidson, Jamie S. and Henley, David, 337–370. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Liddle, , William, R., and Mujani, Saiful. 2007. “Leadership, Party, and Religion: Explaining Voting Behavior in Indonesia.” Comparative Political Studies 40, 7: 832–857.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liddle, , William, R., and Mujani, Saiful. 2010. “Personalities, Parties, and Voters.” Journal of Democracy 21, 2: 35–49.Google Scholar
Lindsay, Jennifer. 2009. “Pomp, Piety and Performance: Pilkada in Yogyakarta, 2005.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 211–228. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Indonesia, Lingkaran Survei. 2008. “Faktor Etnis dalam Pilkada.” Laporan Bulanan 9: 1–22.Google Scholar
McRae, Dave. 2010. “Reintegration and Localised Conflict: Security Impacts Beyond Influencing Spoilers.” Conflict, Security and Development 10: 403–430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mietzner, Marcus. 2006. “Local Democracy.” Inside Indonesia 85: 17–18.Google Scholar
Mietzner, Marcus. 2007. “Local Elections and Autonomy in Papua and Aceh: Mitigating or Fueling Secessionism?” Indonesia 84: 1–39.Google Scholar
Mietzner, Marcus. 2009. “Autonomy, Democracy, and Internal Conflict: The 2006 Gubernatorial Elections in Papua.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 259–282. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Palmer, Blaair. 2010. “Peace, Patronage and Post-Conflict Elections in Aceh.” In Problems of Democratisation in Indonesia: Elections, Institutions and Society , ed. Aspinall, Edward and Mietzner, Marcus, 286–306. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Rasyid, M. Ryaas. 2003. “Regional Autonomy and Local Politics in Indonesia.” In Local Power and Politics in Indonesia: Democratisation and Decentralisation , ed. Aspinall, Edward and Fealy, Greg, 63–71. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Schiller, Anne. 2007. “Activism and Identities in an East Kalimantan Dayak Organization.” Journal of Asian Studies 66, 1: 63–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schulte Nordholt, Henk. 2007. Bali, an Open Fortress 1995–2005: Regional Autonomy, Electoral Democracy and Entrenched Identities. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press.Google Scholar
Schulte Nordholt, Henk. 2008. “Identity Politics, Citizenship and the Soft State in Indonesia: An Essay.” Journal of Indonesian Social Sciences and Humanities 1: 1–21.Google Scholar
Schulte Nordholt, Henk, and van Klinken, Gerry, eds. 2007. Renegotiating Boundaries: Local Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Leiden: KITLV Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, Anthony D. 1986. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Smith, Claire Q. 2009. “The Return of the Sultan? Patronage, Power, and Political Machines in ‘Post’-Conflict North Maluku.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 303–326. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Subianto, Benny. 2009. “Ethnic Politics and the Rise of the Dayak Bureaucrats in Local Elections: Pilkada in Six Kabupaten in West Kalimantan.” In Deepening Democracy in Indonesia? Direct Elections for Local Leaders (Pilkada) , ed. Erb, Maribeth and Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, 327–351. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Suryadinata, Leo, Ananta, Aris, and Nurvidya, Evi. 2003. Indonesia's Population: Ethnicity and Religion in a Changing Political Landscape. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tajima, Yuhki. 2004. Mobilizing for Violence: The Escalation and Limitation of Identity Conflicts. The Case of Lampung, Indonesia. Indonesian Social Development Paper No. 3. Jakarta: World Bank.Google Scholar
Tomsa, Dirk. 2009. “Electoral Democracy in a Divided Society: The Gubernatorial Election in Maluku.” South East Asia Research 17, 2: 229–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Klinken, Gerry. 2007. Communal Violence and Democratization in Indonesia: Small Town Wars. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Klinken, Gerry. 2008. “The Limits of Ethnic Clientelism in Indonesia.” Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs 42, 2: 35–65.Google Scholar
Varshney, Ashutosh. 2003. “Ethnic Conflict, Nationalism and Rationality.” Perspectives on Politics 1, 1: 85–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varshney, Ashutosh, Panggabean, Rizal, and Tadjoeddin, Mohammad Zulfan. 2004. Patterns of Collective Violence in Indonesia (1990–2003). Jakarta: United Nations Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery.Google Scholar
Vel, Jacqueline. 2005. “Pilkada in East Sumba: An Old Rivalry in a New Democratic Setting.” Indonesia 80: 81–107.Google Scholar
Wilson, Chris. 2008. Ethno-Religious Violence in Indonesia: From Soil to God. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, Ian. 2010. “The Rise and Fall of Political Gangsters in Indonesian Democracy.” In Problems of Democratisation in Indonesia: Elections, Institutions and Society , ed. Aspinall, Edward and Mietzner, Marcus, 199–218. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.Google Scholar