Indonesia: The Great Transition

Abstract

Indonesia: The Great Transition. Edited by John Bresnan. New York and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005. Softcover: 318pp. This book is an ambitious academic volume written by a group of Indonesianists based in United States. Its editor is John Bresnan, an Indonesia specialist based at Columbia University. The book is aimed at helping all of us to understand phenomenon of, to use editor's term, the great transition experienced by Indonesia. Using a multi-dimensional approach, it encompasses history, anthropology, politics, economics, and international relations to examine causes, consequences, complexities and challenges of Indonesia's path to democracy. A range of issues including process of nation-state building, modernity, political Islam, centralization, regionalism, political parties, military, leadership, economic reform, and globalization are critically examined by authors. Theoretically, this book does not offer an alternative to existing approaches to study of contemporary Indonesian politics/political economy, but it does give us grounded views on Indonesia beyond views which are often found in media or are given by instant Indonesia experts. In prologue, John Bresnan sets out some concerns regarding lack of understanding about struggles and dynamics of Indonesia's historical and political trajectories and consequent strong need to educate general public on this very important country. He outlines magnitude of problems faced by Indonesia after fall of Suharto in 1998. He also worries about ability of leaders in post-Suharto period to hold country together in midst of a seemingly unending series of crises, and he poses questions that are answered by contributors of this book. Chapter 1 is about Indonesia at big picture level. It is written by Donald Emmerson from Stanford University who works on Indonesian politics. He examines critically view that state has been in total control over archipelago and its people. He argues that as process of nation-state building in Indonesia is ongoing, pursuit of knowing identity of Indonesia is important. He highlights four important areas of identity that could help us to understand Indonesia (p. 8): spatial Indonesia (physical, and political lines); centrifugal Indonesia (causes for disintegration); historical Indonesia (from pre-colonial, colonial to post-colonial periods); and personal Indonesia (which can be found among individuals). By integrating these identities into a comprehensive analysis, he argues that events and developments such as breakaway of East Timor, struggles in Aceh and Papua, process of decentralization, and elite rivalries during post-Suharto period are issues that Indonesia has to face. By saying that we can also expect that anything can happen in Indonesia in future including emergence of new Indonesia, one that differs from what we have seen right now. With rise of localities and of local power combined with weakening of centre, break-up of Indonesia is still possible. Chapter 2 examines historical genealogy of religious plurality and diversity in Indonesia. It is written by Robert Hefner, an anthropologist from Boston University who has researched widely on Islam and modernity in Indonesia. Among his provocative works are Civil Islam, Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia (2000) and Remaking Muslim Politics (2005). He argues importance of acknowledging religious and diversities inherited from past and making them useful in providing social capital that can enhance consolidation of democracy in Indonesia in future. In doing so, he traces back inter-religious engagements that helped establish religious plurality that spread out through Indonesian archipelago. He also points out that Dutch efforts to contain spread of Islam in past not only failed, but created unintended consequences which were expansion of Islamic organizations and religious civic organizations to counter those established by Dutch (pp. …