Hamish McDonald is the author of Suharto’s Indonesia, which was published by HarperCollins in 1980 and was a primer for some years on the country. Demokrasi is the culmination of a vast amount of experience and research and is a much-needed update on a country which is rapidly changing. In this election year, there will be intense media coverage of the country and its politics.
Indonesia is an island nation of 400 million people, straddling the junction of the Pacific and Indian oceans – making it a huge market, a strategic “counterweight”, the world’s biggest Muslim nation – making it a force for what in the world? Demokrasi will be a vital resource for students, educators, politicians, businesspeople and anyone interested in the region.
Contents at a glance:
Introduction: Indonesia Revisited: A brief intro to Hamish’s interest in Indonesia; a scene-setter.
1. Nusantara: Indonesia’s history from early times (briefly) to independence in 1950
2. The Crocodile Hole: The era of President Sukarno; Indonesia’s chaotic liberal democracy from 1950, then Sukarno’s "guided democracy" from 1959 to 1965-66; the overthrow of Sukarno and the mass killing of communists under Suharto.
3. The New Order: Suharto’s era, 1967 to 1998; reorganisation of political life under his regime.
4. Reformasi: The period of Indonesia’s reformation and modernisation under Presidents BJ Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri in the years 1998 to 2004.
5. Tsunami: The tsunami of Boxing Day 2005 and how it unexpectedly led to the Indonesian government reconciling with the separatist province of Aceh.
6. Beyond Dwifungsi: The dual role of the army through Indonesia’s modern era: having a political presence, but not controlling the nation by force.
7. Supreme Commodity: About Indonesia’s primary industries, particularly coal and other energy resources.
8. Capital: A picture of the nation’s financial activity, especially the role of ethnic Chinese.
9. Between Mecca and the South Sea: Religion in Indonesia, especially the position of Islam.
10. Korupsi: Geckos versus Crocodiles: Examination of the pervasiveness of corruption in Indonesia, and of the anti-corruption measures being tried.
11. The Eastern Margin: Indonesia and its eastern province of Papua, which has a prominent independence movement.
12. The Burning Question: The environment and environmentalism in Indonesia.
13. SBY and After: President Yudhoyono’s generally passive presidency.
14. Indonesia in the World: A reflection on Indonesia’s role in the broader world now and into the future.