Indonesia's Unknown War and the Lineages of Violence in West Kalimantan

Abstract

The preeminent feature of the post-Suharto Indonesian state is its extensive and intensive regional violence. Few observers have been surprised by the locations in which the worst of this violence has erupted. Three of these were home to long standing rebellions against Indonesian rule. Aceh, the last territory subdued by the Dutch and home to a long-term, albeit low-intensity, independence movement, is now site of daily arson attacks and armed clashes between the Indonesian military and the Free Aceh Movement. East Timor, brutally invaded and annexed by Indonesia in 1975, was the site of massive violence both before and after the August 1999 referendum, through which it achieved independence. Irian Jaya, invaded by the Indonesian military in 1962 and integrated into the republic via a sham UN-sponsored "act of free choice" in 1969, is now experiencing ceremonial raisings of the independence movement's Morning Star flag, demonstrations, and riots. Although the Maluku islands' history of separatism pre-dating the Suharto era differs from the histories of the other territories noted here, the Maluku islands have also been rocked by serious inter-ethnic/religious violence that has left thousands dead and many more displaced. In each of these regions political violence erupted where local aspirations for independence have been quashed by the harsh combination of military rule and economic developmentalism.

Renegotiating Boundaries

“…The province's long border with Malaysia invited military attention. They were the dominant force during 'Confrontation' with Malaysia in the early 1960s, and even more so during the early New Order while they combated what they called a communist insurgency (Davidson and Kammen 2002). At this time the military took over strategic positions formerly assigned to civilians such as governor, district head, and parliamentary chairperson.…”

“…The only one of numerous events that did not involve the Madurese as the 'victim' was the conflict in 1967, when Dayaks expelled the Chinese population from the interior of the Bengkayang and Landak regions. Davidson and Kammen (2002) claim that this episode was driven by the military. 24 Golkar, Sanggau, Laporan khusus; Kelompok 11 di Sanggau, signed by Oteng Sukarna, 28-4-1981, pp.…”

Forgotten People: Poverty, Risk and Social Security in Indonesia

“…In total, over 130,000 Madurese left Kalimantan and lived as Internally Displaced People idps in mainland East Java and on Madura (Brusset et al 2004:13). Especially those who still had relatives or land in mainland East Java or in Madura left Kalimantan -at least temporarily (Davidson and Kammen 2002, Jonge and Nooteboom 2006, Schiller and Garang 2002.…”

“…Expanding on the earlier analyses, they now explained the conflicts historically, referring to the errors of the past three decades: forced migration of hundreds of thousands people from densely populated islands such as Java, Bali and Madura to less populated islands without properly integrating the migrants with native groups in the settlement areas (Ave 2003, Dove 1997, hrw 1997, Peluso 2006, Peluso and Harwell 2001; the political heritage of suppression under Suharto's New Order (Davidson and Kammen 2002); political instability after his fall (Davidson 2003, Putra 1999); a failing justice system and probable political manipulation by Indonesian authorities (hrw 1997, icg 2001, Schiller and Garang 2002; and deep-rooted cultural and religious controversies (Coppel 2006, Schiller andGarang 2002). Van Klinken located his analysis in a context of decentralization and blamed local ethnic elites 'who deflect democratization by stimulating ethnic conflict ' (Van Klinken 2003: 70).…”

The state and illegality in Indonesia

“…For analysis of anti-Madurese violence elsewhere in Kalimantan see Schiller and Garang 2002;Davidson and Kammen 2002;Peluso 2006;Peluso and Harwell 2001;Van Klinken 2002. I have discussed the loss of selfesteem and its impact elsewhere: De Jonge and Nooteboom 2006;Nooteboom 2005. …”