Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world after China, India and the United States. It is also the world's largest Muslim majority country and the third largest democracy. Its ...economy is currently the 10th largest on the global scale. Indonesia is recognized as an emerging power, and a respected member of the international community. It plays an important role not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also in the world at large.Indonesia has defied the grim predictions about its imminent collapse following the ouster of Suharto in 1998. Its ability to rebuild and reinvigorate itself into its current status is one of the most impressive stories of the late 20th and early 21st century. Its journey since the fall of Suharto is inspiring at a time when the world has seen many failing nations, recurring economic crises, and growing radicalism and terrorism. Yet, the Indonesian story receives far less attention than the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).The Indonesian story suggests a different pathway to emerging power status. This pathway is based not so much on military or economic resources. Rather, it lies in the ability of a country to develop a positive, virtuous correlation among three factors: democracy, development and stability, while pursuing a foreign policy of restraint towards neighbours and active engagement with the world at large.This is the key lesson from the story of Indonesia that this book seeks to present. It analyses Indonesia's foreign policy and international role under the democratic regime, with particular focus on its role as a leader of ASEAN, its relationship with the major powers of the Asia Pacific, and its place in the global order of the 21st century.
This is the first book to consider the experiences of women survivors of the 1965 anti-communist violence in the majority Christian region of Eastern Indonesia. So far, most studies of the 1965 ...violence have focused on the Muslim majority population of Java and the Hindu majority population of Bali. Forbidden Memories presents stories from across the regions of Sumba, Sabu, Alor, Kupang and other parts of West Timor of women who were imprisoned and tortured or whose husbands were murdered. The book comprises a critical examination of the role of the Protestant Church at the time of the violence and, in its aftermath, the ongoing sanctions and political purges against those considered to be supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party. The writers argue that religious and state institutions failed to care for this vulnerable community in the face of state terrorism and a culture of fear.
Using an exhaustive selection of primary sources, this book presents a rich and textured picture of Indonesian politics and society from 1965 to the dramatic changes which have taken place in recent ...years. Providing a complete portrait of the Indonesian political landscape, this authoritative reader is an essential resource in understanding the history and contradictions of the New Order, current social and political conditions and the road ahead.
Though few realize it, the Netherlands East Indies were the object of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Likewise, their invasions of Guam, Wake Island and the Philippines were mainly ...diversionary operations to safeguard their main assault on Dutch and British colonies. Since the end of World War I, Japan had coveted the vast East Indies oil reserves, and the colony had feared invasion since Germany overran Holland in May 1940. Isolated politically the weakly defended archipelago was a tempting prize. The East Indies government initially maintained a strict policy of neutrality while desperately working to build up its military strength. As Japanese actions pushed the region toward war, the Dutch reluctantly embraced closer ties with America and Britain. For a brief period, the East Indies were key players in Pacific War strategy. This book details for the first time in English the Dutch prewar strategy, their efforts to counter Japanese espionage and their sizable though largely forgotten military contribution in the early months of the Pacific War.
This collection of essays provides insights into the complex process of economic decolonization in Indonesia from a variety of perspectives. The emancipation from Dutch colonialism in the economic ...sphere is linked to the unique features of the new nation-state emerging in newly independent Indonesia. This included a key role in business for the military. A key part was also played by indigenous Indonesian business firms that were shaped by the Japanese occupation and the Indonesian Revolution.
Fragmentation in Indonesia is by far the most critical issue now facing the state. This book analyses social unrest, autonomy and separatism in the wake of the Indonesian economic crisis, placing ...them in the context of state evolution, and looking at the competing aims of economic and political globalization with local agendas. Topics covered include Indonesian nationalism in historical perspective, identity and the nation-state, NGO activism, and case-studies from Aceh, Papua, East Timor and Sumatra.
Edited by former political prisoner Putu Oka Sukanta, this is a collection of accounts from people around the Indonesian archipelago who experienced the violence of 1965-1966. Fifteen witnesses - ...from the regions of Medan, Palu, Kendari, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bali, Kupang, and Sabu Island - share their stories of how they navigated this horrifying period of Indonesian history and how they have lived with this past. The book is based on life history interviews with ordinary people - teachers, artists, women's activists, and policemen - whose lives were turned upside down when atrocious attacks and heinous killings occurred against those who were considered to be supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party. These accounts - including one from a perpetrator who is now tormented by guilt, and from survivors who still feel isolated and rejected by society - show how the violence continues to influence Indonesian society. The book will be a valuable resource for students of history, of Indonesia, and for people wanting to understand the impact of this shocking violence. (Series: Herb Feith Translation).
The argument here is that, although Indonesia would appear to be the natural leader in Southeast Asia, it has been singularly unsuccessful in putting its stamp on ASEAN. If anything, ASEAN has been ...put on Indonesia's bebas dan aktif (independent and active) foreign policy stamp through Indonesia's deference to self-constructed obligations to ASEAN solidarity and consensus. ASEAN's political incoherence on regional security matters suggests that, for Indonesia, strategic independence from the immobilism of ASEAN decision making would put bebas dan aktif back into play in pursuit of Indonesian national security interests.
