International Quarterly for Asian Studies

“Twin Brothers”: Claim-Making Strategies by the Ata Modo in the Tourism Development Project of Komodo National Park, West Manggarai

Mahesti Hasanah — 2024-09-25

The Komodo monitor lizard is an endangered species found only on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang. To protect them, a national park was established in the 1980s. In 2019, the Indonesian government designated Komodo National Park as a super-premium tourist destination, sparking controversy over its impact on the indigenous Ata Modo people. This article examines the claim-making process of the Ata Modo community, supported by local NGOs. Claim-making – the assertion of rights over land and resources – plays a crucial role in tourism projects, often leading to uneven development that threatens community livelihoods, indigenous wildlife and the environment as a whole. The 2021 super-premium tourism development in West Manggarai involving Komodo National Park is used as a case study to explore how people secure their rights to land and animals. The Ata Modo’s claim-making has helped them to maintain their livelihoods despite ongoing political contestation. The article aims to elucidate the political processes of appropriation, access and contestation in claims to land, animals and the environment, providing insights into the interplay between society, local knowledge of human–non-human relationships and political dynamics.

Recurrent Frontiers: Land Dispossession, Illegal Resource Extraction and Environmental Degradation in Sorong, West Papua

Hatib Kadir — 2024-10-11

Over the past decade, during the tenure of President Joko Widodo, West Papua has undergone a process that Jason and Michael (2019) describe as a “recurring frontier”, whereby frontiers emerge, evolve and are continually redefined. The situation there is exemplified by a number of intertwined “frontier indicators”, which in this article are focused on military threats, the corrupt bureaucracy surrounding infrastructure and the environmental disasters of deforestation and flooding. The paper is based on reflections from fieldwork in Sorong greater area (Sorong Raya) between 2019 and 2023. It indicates several developments occurring at the micro level in Sorong including the history of threats and violence that have created frontiers and overlapping bureaucratic governance, resulting in urban environmental degradation. The creation of frontiers for Papuans is not only currently underway but is also envisioned as a future project to be developed across Papua. Reflecting on this specific case in Sorong, West Papua, it is anticipated that frontier areas will emerge throughout Papua in the future.

Rural Social Movements and Popular Struggles under Jokowi’s Presidency

Iqra Anugrah — 2024-09-25

The victory of Joko Widodo in the 2014 presidential election and the early phase of his first-term presidency brought some hope to Indonesian rural social movements. However, the structural constraints under oligarchic politics, the elite jockeying surrounding Jokowi, and the president’s lack of willingness to support an agrarian justice agenda rendered the movements’ strategy of intervention by state institutions and policies ineffective. This tension persuaded some sections of rural communities and activists to pursue a more contestational approach in advocating their rights, especially during Jokowi’s second term (2019–2024). This article examines the prevalence of the logic of concessionary capitalism in Jokowi’s rural policies, its devastating impacts on rural communities and the creative, sometimes impromptu, responses of rural social movements to dispossession and marginalisation. It also analyses the limits and gains made by the movements’ actors and provides an overall assessment of state-rural social movement relations under Jokowi’s presidency and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Indonesia’s Disability Policy Reform under the Jokowi Government: Progressive Legal Framework versus Half-hearted Inclusion

Antoni Tsaputra — 2024-09-25

The ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the passage of Indonesia’s first national law based on disability rights, No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, have laid the groundwork for a paradigm shift in understanding and approaching disability in the country. Based on descriptive analysis and long-term observation, this article argues that advances in the legal frameworks that govern disability policies have yet to result in significant improvements in the lives of Indonesians with disabilities. A lack of budget commitment, regulatory discord, and insufficient awareness of disability rights in the public and private sectors all point to a half-hearted approach to disability inclusion. This article illustrates this argument by focusing on three crucial aspects of the realisation of human rights for people with disabilities in Indonesia: the rights to education, health and employment.

Politics of Marginalisation in Indonesia: The Jokowi Era

Amanda tho Seeth — 2024-09-25

This special issue critically examines the socio-political and economic impacts of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) government (2014–2024) on marginalised communities in Indonesia, focusing on the intersection of government policies and local struggles. Despite economic growth, Indonesia has experienced democratic backsliding, characterised by oligarchic influence, weakened institutions, and rising corruption. These challenges have exacerbated the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, particularly in rural and indigenous areas, where top-down development projects have deepened social inequality, land disputes, and environmental degradation. However, the issue also highlights grassroots resistance, with communities engaging in "everyday resistance" and "politics of marginality" to challenge these policies. Case studies include struggles over land in Flores, political-economic turmoil in West Papua, and the challenges faced by rural social movements and people with disabilities. The editorial critiques Jokowi’s developmental policies, questioning their social and ecological consequences while pointing to the resilience of local communities as a crucial counterbalance to elite-driven politics. It calls for further research into these dynamics as Indonesia pursues its "Golden Indonesia 2045" vision.

False Hope and Broken Promises: Jokowi’s Human Rights Agenda – A Commentary

Usman Hamid — 2024-09-25

Usman Hamid is the Chairperson of the Public Virtue Institute and Director of Amnesty International Indonesia. He is also a lecturer at the Indonesia Jentera School of Law, a human rights lawyer, and a member of the expert council at the Indonesian Bar Association (PERADI-RBA). In 1998, as a student activist at Trisakti University, he became involved in protests that contributed to the fall of the Suharto regime. He subsequently became the coordinator of KontraS, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence. In 2004, he was appointed to the Presidential Fact-Finding Team that investigated the murder of prominent human rights defender Munir Said Thalib. In 2011, he was appointed to the Presidential Unit for the Supervision of Development, where he reviewed Indonesia’s National Human Rights Action Plan for 2011–2014. This commentary reflects on the unmet expectations of human rights improvements during President Jokowi's two terms in Indonesia. Written from his perspective of a long-time human rights activist, Usman Hamid critiques Jokowi's failure to address key human rights issues, including past violations, minority protections, and civil liberties, despite Jokowis early promises. The author combines personal experiences with an analysis of Jokowi's political compromises and their impact on Indonesia's declining human rights landscape.

Legal Changes during Joko Widodo’s Administration – Backsliding of Democracy?

Shimada Yuzuru — 2024-09-25

This paper provides an overview of the legislative landscape and its background under the Joko Widodo administration (2014–2024). The transition of presidential power from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Joko Widodo marked the consolidation of democracy in post-authoritarian Indonesia, continuing from the pivotal reforms of 1998. The period of Widodo’s administration from 2014 to 2024 illustrates how free elections and freedom of expression, combined with advancements in IT technology, have inadvertently highlighted societal divisions, including discrimination against minorities. Beyond political evolution, the period has also witnessed emerging economic disparities within Indonesian society, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic during the latter half of the period. This paper focuses on major legislative initiatives during the Joko Widodo administration. It systematically examines the background, contents and pivotal discussions of these significant pieces of legislation, providing a comprehensive analysis of the legislative developments during this crucial decade in Indonesia. It goes on to argue that the legislative policies of the Widodo administration reflect a situation where the transition from authoritarianism to democratisation falls short of fully embodying constitutionalism, characterised by limits on executive power and respect for human rights.

Marcus Mietzner: The Coalitions Presidents Make: Presidential Power and Its Limits in Democratic Indonesia

Aditya Perdana — 2024-09-25

Charlotte Setijadi: Memories of Unbelonging: Ethnic Chinese Identity Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia

Silvia Mayasari-Hoffert — 2024-09-25

Tim Lindsey / Jamhari Makruf / Helen Pausacker (eds): Islam, Education and Radicalism in Indonesia: Instructing Piety

Dissa Paputungan-Engelhardt — 2024-09-25

Rüdiger Lohlker / Katharina Ivanyi (eds): Humanitarian Islam: Reflecting on an Islamic Concept

Hilman Latief — 2024-09-25

Sabine Frühstück: Gender and Sexuality in Modern Japan

An Huy Tran — 2024-09-25