Indonesia 1990: Democratization and Social Forces

Abstract

Both foreign and local observers of Indonesia generally agree that the government is the dominant force in local politics. Political life does indeed usually seem to be governed by a small ruling ?lite. This was certainly true in the past, and politics still generally conforms to a top-down pattern whereby important political decisions are taken by the inner circle of advisers around President Soeharto. But perhaps it is time to review this accepted wisdom on Indonesian politics. During 1990 a number of developments took place which indicate that membership of this inner circle is beginning to increase. It is, of course, not possible to point to a single event as marking a turning-point in state-society relations, beyond which society has become more powerful. Taken together, however, these developments show that the arena for meaningful political activity has broadened, reaching beyond the small ruling clique of senior military officers and state officials ? and sometimes beyond the state apparatus altogether. This article provides an overview of important political, economic, and religious developments during 1990, events which suggest that the hierarchical nature of political activity in Indonesia may be changing.