Indonesian Studies

Between a rock and a hard place - radical Islam in post-Suharto Indonesia

by Felix Heiduk

International Journal of Conflict and Violence, Vol 6, No 1 (2012)

Indonesia provides a fruitful case study of differences between radicalization processes in liberal and authoritarian... more Indonesia provides a fruitful case study of differences between radicalization processes in liberal and authoritarian regimes. Political Science hereby tends to emphasize regime type as the determinant of Islamist political strategy (radical, militant or moderate) and therefore as the main explanatory factor for radicalization processes.

Although this is true of the role of Islamists in various Middle Eastern countries, where electoral participation has moderated political programs and strategies, it is of little relevance to Indonesia. The democratic opening in 1998 provided Islamists with new opportunities to participate in electoral politics, and even become co-opted by formally “secular” forces, but at the same time opened up spaces for militant, radical Islamist groups.

Whereas radical Islam faced severe state repression under Suharto’s New Order, we now find a highly ambiguous relationship between the state and radical Islamists, expressed in operational terms as a parallelism of repression and cooptation. This article tries to make sense of the relationship between the post-authoritarian state and radical Islam in Indonesia by transcending the institution-centered understanding of the role of Islam through an examination of the configurations of social forces that have determined the shape, scope, and practices of radical Islam within Indonesia’s new experiment with democracy.

Refining REDD+ in Indonesia: Policy Recommendations for Increasing Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity

by Rahardhika Arista Utama

Created as part of the 2012 Jackson School for International Studies SIS 495: Task force. Celia Lowe, Suraya Afiff Task Force Advisors; Henry Apfel Coordinator.

Indonesia is the third largest green house gas emitter in the world with much of these emissions attributed to large... more Indonesia is the third largest green house gas emitter in the world with much of these emissions attributed to large scale deforestation. The government has recognized the role that deforestation is playing in contributing to the effects of climate change, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has already committed to unilaterally reducing Indonesia’s emissions. Toward this effort, Indonesia has championed its involvement in the United Nations program on Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enchancing forest carbon stocksm or REDD+. The REDD+ program in Indonesia is designed to reduce emissions by aligning development and market incentives with environmental protection. If REDD+ is successfully implemented, Indonesia’s vast tropical forests will qualify for carbon crediting, drawing funds from international investors to offset the costs of preservation. In the long term, these carbon markets could provide Indonesia with a valuable source of income, however at present, Indonesia is still laying the groundwork for REDD+.

“Retna Pamudya”; Javanese Female Solo Dance in the Era of Independence

by Michi Tomioka

read a paper in Asian Theatre Working Group,　International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR)　in 16-17 March, 2010. at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

De-Ritualization of Javanese Court Dance through Establishment of Teaching Method

by Michi Tomioka

Read a paper in International School for Graduate School of Literature and Sciences, Osaka City University in September 2010

Establishment of Tradition by Criticism of Tradition: the case of the Surakarta Style of Javanese Dance

by Michi Tomioka

in Japanese

Urban Research.VOl.12. pp. 50-64.
published in March 2010 by Osaka City University Urban Culture Research Center, Osaka: Japan

　Ramayana Ballet, a dance theater for tourists, was started in 1961 at Prambanan
Temple and has become an... more 　Ramayana Ballet, a dance theater for tourists, was started in 1961 at Prambanan
Temple and has become an Indonesian representative theater. It was choreographed
by R.T.Kusumokesowo, a dance master of the Surakarta Court. However his choreography
was criticized by Gendhon Humardani at the Seminar on National Dance
Theater of Ramayana 1970. It was the beginning of dance criticism in Indonesia, and
Humardani has had an important role in developing Javanese dance since then.
Humardani made severe comments on Kusumokesowo's choreography, especially on
the following 3 points: 1. dance forms representative and external; 2. pendhopo
(Javanese traditional hall) - oriented sense of space; and 3. art direction attaching too
much emphasis to the story. All of these show Humardani appreciated the Western
modern performing arts. It is true Ramayana Ballet produced a new genre named sendratari
(a dance theater) as well as many new character forms, but it still maintained a
conservative sense derived from the Javanese court dance. From the criticism of
Humardani, “the (out‒of‒date) Javanese tradition” has emerged behind “the (up-todate)
Western modernity.”
Humardani got the Western modern-oriented viewpoint from his study abroad in the
U.K and the U.S.A from 1959 to 1961. His viewpoint of the Ramayana Ballet criticism was
already obtained in 1961 when he wrote a criticism on a ballet performance in London.
　Humardani innovated dance both in the PKJT (Central Java Art Center) project and
the ASKI (Indonesian Art Academy), to realize his dance theory. Humardani played an
important role to bring a modern perspective into Javanese dance.
Keywords : tradition, Javanese dance, modern, Ramayana Ballet, Humardani

Revaluing Javanese Court Dances (Srimpi and Bedhaya) within the Current Social and Cultural Context

by Michi Tomioka

"The Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows"  pp. 53-60.
The Nippon Foundation

Respect to the Source of Artistic Works

by Michi Tomioka

paper for the Regional Seminar on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diversity of Cultural Expression on the theme: “Intellectual Property Rights Matters in Relation to Performing Arts” held on the 5th-6th of October 2011 by Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Indonesia (Jakarta)

In Indonesia, history of an artistic work as well as its creator(s) is paid less attention to than its developed form.... more In Indonesia, history of an artistic work as well as its creator(s) is paid less attention to than its developed form.

Respect to the owners of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) can only be expressed in writing, such as references in books and academic papers, scrolling of credit title in films and videos,
or  program books of “live” performing arts.

IPR should be protected, because the owner(s) can benefit from the property they have created.  In Indonesia, Even if a creation is famous enough and has a lot of written data, the IPR of the owner(s) are not always protected, because the importance of written data is not yet recognized. In such circumstances, it is not difficult for those who can control the media and have political power to claim the IPR of others as their own. 

In order to respect the IPR of others as well as protect our own IPR, I suggest instilling an awareness of importance to write down performance history, and to take a fair attitude to respect IPR each other. 

Borderland livelihood strategies: The socio-economic significance of ethnicity in cross-border labour migration, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

by Michael Eilenberg

Co-authored with Reed Lee Wadley

Asia Pacific Viewpoint [Wiley-Blackwell] 2009, Vol. 50(1): 58-73.

This paper explores cross-border ethnic relations as an important socio-economic strategy for the borderland Iban... more This paper explores cross-border ethnic relations as an important socio-economic strategy for the borderland Iban population in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Iban seeking more lucrative wage work have long used their ethnic identity to facilitate circular labour migration across the international border into Sarawak, Malaysia, a strategy which has also compromised their claims to Indonesian citizenship. Drawing on long-term field research among the West Kalimantan Iban, we examine the close interconnections among cross-border labour migration, ethnicity, identity, and citizenship, and how this plays into contemporary issues related to Indonesian political and economic change.

Territorial sovereignty and trafficking in the Indonesia-Malaysia borderlands

by Michael Eilenberg

In Michele Ford, Lenore Lyons and Willem van Schendel (eds.) Labour Migration and Trafficking in Southeast Asia. London: Routledge - Contemporary Southeast Asia Series, 2012.

This chapter aims to explore the role that anti-trafficking initiatives have played in attempts by the Indonesian... more This chapter aims to explore the role that anti-trafficking initiatives have played in attempts by the Indonesian state to reclaim authority along its territorial borders. Drawing on data collected between 2002-2007 through personal interviews, government reports and newspaper clippings, it documents how increased criminalization and the prevention of unauthorized flows of cross-border labour migrants have come to the foreground of national rhetoric concerning border development, territorial sovereignty and security. The chapter argues that the anti-trafficking discourse has had unintended negative consequences along a border where the mundane practices of undocumented labour migration are often not distinguished from the more exploitative practices of human trafficking.

Canadian Complicity in the East Timor Near-Genocide: A Case Study in the Sociology of Human Rights

by Jeffery Klaehn

‘Canadian Complicity in the East Timor Near-Genocide: A Case Study in the Sociology of Human Rights,’ Portuguese Studies Review, 2004, Vol. 11(1): 49-65.

This research assesses the extent to which Canadian economic and political self-interest can be seen to have motivated... more This research assesses the extent to which Canadian economic and political self-interest can be seen to have motivated the complicity of successive Canadian governments in the East Timor near-genocide perpetrated by the government of Indonesia. The research considers ways in which Canada facilitated and legitimized Indonesia’s occupation vis-à-vis
diplomatic actions at the UN, pro-Indonesian foreign policy, direct investment in Indonesia, bilateral aid, and authorization of military export permits, thus in effect “aiding and abetting” the near-genocide. The research is intended to encourage debate concerning the relationship between the political and economic policies of Western nations and the state of human rights
elsewhere in the world.

Corporate Hegemony: a critical assessment of the Globe and Mail’s news coverage of near-genocide in occupied East Timor 1975–80

by Jeffery Klaehn

‘Corporate Hegemony and the Marginalization of Dissent: A Critical Assessment and Review of the Globe and Mail’s News Coverage of Near-Genocide in Occupied East Timor, 1975-1980,’ International Communication Gazette, 2002, Vol. 64(4): 301-321. Reprinted in Filtering the News: Essays on Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model (Montreal: Black Rose, 2005), 138-163.

Abstract / The study asks whether the news coverage accorded the near-genocide in East Timor by the Globe and Mail... more Abstract / The study asks whether the news coverage accorded the near-genocide in East Timor by the Globe and Mail (G&M) followed the predictions of the ‘propaganda model’ (PM) of media operations laid out and applied by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. The research asks whether the G&M’s news coverage of the near-genocide in East Timor and of Canada’s ‘aiding and abetting’ of ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’ in occupied East Timor was hegemonic or ideologically serviceable given Canada’s (geo)political-economic interests in Indonesia throughout the invasion and occupation periods. Did the news coverage provide a political and historical benchmark by which to inform the Canadian public (or not) and influence (or not) Canadian government policy on Indonesia and East Timor?

Keywords / Canadian foreign policy / democracy / East Timor / media / power and hegemony / propaganda model

Climate Change and Biodiversity in Malaysia. 2010

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Impact, gaps and future of biodiversity in the face of climate change in Malaysia. Impact, gaps and future of biodiversity in the face of climate change in Malaysia.

Biogeography of fruit bats in Southeast Asia. Les S. Hall, Gordon G. Grigg, Craig Moritz, Besar Ketol, Isa Sait, Wahab Marni and M.T. Abdullah.

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Should read Abdullah (2003).

We studied on the biogeography and diversity of fruit bats in Southeast Asia, from Borneo to Asian Mainland.The... more We studied on the biogeography and diversity of fruit bats in Southeast Asia, from Borneo to Asian Mainland.The patterns of distribution of distribution, diversity and abundance are related to ecological and biogeographical factors and possible past Pleistocene events.

Les S. Hall, Gordon G. Grigg, Craig Moritz, Besar Ketol, Isa Sait, Wahab Marni and M.T. Abdullah. 2004. Sarawak Museum Journal 81: 191-284.

Phylogeny and Phylogeography of insect bat Myotis muricola. 2012

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

http://scholar.google.com.my/citations?hl=en&user=ylnvJSAAAAAJ

Myotis muricola is a widespread species covering the Malay Archipelago through the West and East of Wallace’s Line.... more Myotis muricola is a widespread species covering the Malay Archipelago through the West and East of Wallace’s Line. The genetic analysis, based on partial cytochrome b gene, shows the high genetic variation within M. muricola. The phylogenetic analysis has indicated that M. muricola in the Malay Archipelago are monophyletic. Members of M. muricola Eastern are grouped together independently of M. muricola Western and both groups are distantly related. On the other hand, M. muricola Western and M. muricola Eastern are distinct species and sister taxa to M. mystacinus. Based on the high genetic distance (26.8% to 38.5%) and the Genetic Species Concept (Baker & Bradley, 2006), it can be concluded that M. muricola Western and M. muricola Eastern should be considered as two distinct species. Furthermore, two subgroups within M. muricola Western, namely Sumatra-Asian and Bornean subgroups, are recognised as distinct subspecies (with genetic distance of 5.1% to 10.8%). The evidence from the molecular data indicated M. muricola Eastern as the ancestor of M. muricola species complex in the Malay Archipelago, which had earlier diverged into the western region during the Pliocene. Meanwhile, the geographical conditions during the Pleistocene had given more chances for fauna to diversify. It was predicted that M. muricola diverged in the western part of the Malay Archipelago during the Pleistocene when the sea level dropped and produced some landbridges among the islands in Sundaland. The hypothetical dispersal routes of M. muricola are related to the ancient Sunda River systems that produced gallery forest corridors for migration and which served as Pleistocene
refuges during the migration.

Phylogeny and Phylogeography of insect bat Myotis muricola (Gray, 1846) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the West and and East of Wallace's Line Inferred from Partial MtDNA Cytochrome b Gene. Sigit Wiantoro, Ibnu Maryanto and M.T. Abdullah. 2012. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 35(2): 271-292.

Persoalan Ijtihad Dalam Ayat-Ayat Cinta

by Mohd Faizal Musa

Alayasastra Jurnal Ilmiah Kesusastraan, 7(1): 1-15.

Kejawen (Javanese Sufism) and Perennial Philosophy in Kuntowijoyo’s Khotbah di Atas Bukit

by Mohd Faizal Musa

Journal Malay Literature, 24(1): 1-28

Khotbah di Atas Bukit (Sermon on a Hill) by Kuntowijoyo was written to foreground transcendental principles, in... more Khotbah di Atas Bukit (Sermon on a Hill) by Kuntowijoyo was written to foreground transcendental principles, in accordance with the Theory of Transcendental Literature. Transcendental principles are brought to the fore and applied in this work through the use of symbolism. Kuntowijoyo uses a local subject for enquiry, kejawen (Javanese sufism), to address issues of faith and tauhid (Islamic Monotheism or the Oneness of Allah). However, there is some ambiguity in the text which could affect the aspects of tauhid discussed. In presenting the teachings of Sufism, Kuntowijoyo may in the process be misunderstood and consequently considered to subscribe to global theology where tauhid is simplified and religions “combined”. Khotbah di Atas Bukit is a complex work to read because of the overuse of symbolism aimed at obscuring meaning. This kind of symbolism needs to be explained, particularly to readers who have little knowledge of sufism. It is this that makes Khotbah di Atas Bukit a specialized work for a specialized readership.

Key words: Islamic literature, Islam kejawen, sufism, perennial philosophy, Islamic leadership, tauhid, Kuntowijoyo, pluralism,
mysticism, Transcendental Literature, myth, global religion, orthodox Muslims (the faithful).

Javanese Sufism and Prophetic Literature

by Mohd Faizal Musa

Cultura. International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology 8(2)/2011: 189–208

Part of the “Islamic literature” furore in Indonesia is the discourse of “Prophetic Literature,” founded by Abdul Hadi... more Part of the “Islamic literature” furore in Indonesia is the discourse of “Prophetic Literature,” founded by Abdul Hadi W.M. The background of “Prophetic Literature” is Sufism. Other ingredients that formulated “Prophetic Literature” are mysticism, “Javanese Sufism” and perennial philosophies concerned with spiritual experience and human effort to gain the love of God. The ambitious objective of “Prophetic Literature” is to form a healthy environment in society through the purification of the souls of the readers. It also aims to energize the spirit of the colonized people in the East through promoting good deeds and kindness whilst preventing corruption and wickedness. “Prophetic Literature” prioritized the human and re-positioned man as the Caliph of Allah. The fundamental and dominant theme of “Prophetic Literature” is monotheism. “Prophetic Literature” is not interested in any particular form, but it emphasizes traditional elements, such as the return to the “roots of local culture,” including “Javanese Sufism,” as it core sources. Similar to “Sufi literature,” the appearance of “Prophetic Literature” is shown through the use of symbols. Authors are measured by their ability to compose symbols, and to send hidden meanings in their works.

Keywords: Javanese Sufism, Prophetic Literature, Islamic literature, mysticism, Indonesian literature, Santri, Abangan

The role of Islamists in post-Suharto Indonesia

by Felix Heiduk

Unequal Borders: Indonesian transnational migrants at immigration control

by Rachel Silvey

Published in Geopolitics, 12 (2), 2007.

This article analyses the Indonesian state’s efforts to manage
returning overseas migrant labourers. It examines... more This article analyses the Indonesian state’s efforts to manage
returning overseas migrant labourers. It examines state practices
in the airport terminal for returning transnational migrant labourers (“Terminal 3”) in Jakarta. “Terminal 3” segregates
returning overseas migrant contract workers, separating them out
from the other travelers who pass through the “regular” terminal to
enter into Indonesia. The article explores the spatial politics of the terminal through interviews with government officials and observations made at the airport terminal. Located in the context of long-term research on Indonesian migration, the case study illustrates specific ways in which the Indonesian state, through its selective and irregular application of regulatory procedures at the point of immigration, reproduces social inequalities through the repatriation process. In addition, it demonstrates the place-based nature of efforts to govern the transnational labouring class.

Mobilizing Piety: Gendered morality and Indonesian-Saudi transnational migration

by Rachel Silvey

Published in Mobilities, 2 (2), 2007.

This paper focuses on the emotional discourses invoked in efforts to frame and control Indonesian women’s labor... more This paper focuses on the emotional discourses invoked in efforts to frame and control Indonesian women’s labor migration to Saudi Arabia. Based on interviews with migrant recruiters,
state officials, and migrants in West Java, as well as data collected by migrant rights activists, the paper examines the emotional vocabularies and imagined geographies of gendered piety that are deployed in attempts to mobilize, direct, and discipline women’s transnational labor migration. It explores articulations of women’s virtue as a key dimension of the moral geographies of Indonesian women’s overseas migration. More broadly, it suggests that such attention to struggles over the
regulation of emotion can serve as a lens onto the ways in which gender articulates with the religiously-inflected transnational labor market linking Indonesia with Saudi Arabia.