The world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the...Show moreThe world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the European Union to file a complaint at the World Trade Organization in November 2019. Two years later, the Panel has ruled in favor of the European Union. Specifically, Indonesia’s export prohibition and domestic processing requirement on nickel ore were deemed inconsistent with the prohibition of export prohibitions and restrictions under the purview of Article XI:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Instead of backing down, Indonesia has now appealed the Panel Report to the Appellate Body. This thesis draws from International Compliance Theory and combines the management approach and enforcement approach. Through descriptive qualitative analysis utilizing primary and secondary resources, it aims to investigate the reasons behind Indonesia's non-compliance. Indonesia’s appeal and persistent downstreaming efforts are deeply rooted in its ambition to reach high-income status by 2045, thus shedding light on the political-economic significance of the nickel sector. Lack of clarity on exemptions regarding export restrictions and inactive Appellate Body further provides an opportunity to prolong non-compliance with WTO Ruling.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This research focuses on the analysis of the forms of human-environment relationship that characterize different communities in the coastal area of North Jakarta, and on how these might be...Show moreThis research focuses on the analysis of the forms of human-environment relationship that characterize different communities in the coastal area of North Jakarta, and on how these might be connected to inequalities between local communities. In North Jakarta, relationship with the environment is strongly affected by the presence of environmental issues, namely sea level rise, land subsidence, and chronic floods, which force local communities to come to terms with the surrounding waters on a daily basis, developing different experiences and perceptions of the environment. Moreover, such different experiences and perceptions are connected to political struggles related to the protection of the Jakarta bay ecosystem, the livelihood of fishing communities, and mitigation projects such as the construction of a giant seawall and of reclaimed islands off the coast of the city. The research population includes residents of four different neighbouring districts located along the coast of the Indonesian capital. Despite being so close to each other, these are very different areas, home to fish markets, fishing settlements and industries, luxurious residential areas, shining malls and exclusive leisure spaces. These districts are inhabited by very different communities in terms of social class, income, lifestyle, occupation, and ethnicity. Therefore, they are an ideal field to observe diverse forms of human-environment relationship, and to test to what extent could these be related to the above-mentioned inequalities and to different ontologies of the environment.Show less
Education is one of the most important determinants of an individual livelihood. Not only does education contribute to the development of a nation, but it also fosters democracy through the...Show moreEducation is one of the most important determinants of an individual livelihood. Not only does education contribute to the development of a nation, but it also fosters democracy through the teachings of democratic values in schools and exposure to the benefits of civic engagement. Furthermore, the education system of a country is reflective of its ideology and can serve as a tool for the government to shape the view of its citizens. Literature on the relationship between democracy on education is vast, but most are based on quantitative measures. Thus, this research conducts a qualitative study in analysing the effect of the level of democracy on the inclusion of democratic values in the fundamental education law of each country. Employing a diverse case selection, qualitative content analysis method, and a deductive coding frame, this thesis finds that the effect of democracy on democratic values in education law has varying effects. A clear division based on the level of democracy is visible for democratic goals in the education law, but is less visible regarding participation, freedom, and equality. The findings of this thesis contribute to narrowing the literature gap and allow further understanding of the impact of democracy on daily life and human development.Show less
This thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has...Show moreThis thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has been institutionalized into mapulus kamtibmas in order to maintain security and order, is studied in this thesis to help provide an answer. The purpose of mapulus kamtibmas is to provide a forum for communication amongst different social groups with the intention of resolving conflict via conversation. The findings demonstrate that because mapulus is only deeply embedded in the lives of Minahasan people, the mapulus kamtibmas model cannot be copied and pasted to resolve interreligious conflict outside of Minahasa. As a result, if it is founded on a shared interest that is deeply embedded in the lives of all parties involved in the conflict, a similar model can be developed in other settings. From an everyday peace perspective, this thesis emphasizes the necessity to investigate the lives of the locals in order to create religious co-existence.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
The gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for...Show moreThe gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for instance? The paper proposes various lines of investigation while highlighting issues of perception and definition hidden in the very core of the object of investigation. Current public perceptions of the gamelan may have to undergo challenges if we are to find an answer. In compensation for such challenges, we discover a fascinating Asia-wide cultural, social and historical perspective and a delightfully rich matrix in which the gamelan emerged.Show less
Debates about the ownership of cultural heritage have been ongoing between colonizer and colonized countries. It has only been recently that the Netherlands has been reflective of its colonial...Show moreDebates about the ownership of cultural heritage have been ongoing between colonizer and colonized countries. It has only been recently that the Netherlands has been reflective of its colonial history and has returned 472 looted art objects back to Indonesia that came into Dutch hands during the colonial period. However, Indonesia has been requesting the return of cultural heritage objects since the 1960s, with its aim to support a new national narrative of the Indonesian state. The Netherlands has been unwilling to return objects due to a loss of power in the colonies and a loss of cultural control. This thesis explores the colonial thought and power structures that underlie the discourse on the restitution of colonial artifacts, such as in the case study of the Java Man remains. By performing an adaptation of a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and employing concepts such as heritage, universal value, looted, and restitution, this thesis argues that the Dutch state and institutions, such as Naturalis, claiming ownership of the looted artifacts proves to reflect the presence of a lingering colonial way of thinking, where the West is thought of as superior in terms of scientific research and architecture. The exhibition Early Humans where the Java Man remains are stored and presented, lacks information regarding the excavation of the artifacts and the colonial context they were found in. The lack of information regarding the colonial history reaffirms the power structures of the museum, linked to their colonial past of collecting. By analyzing the discourse surrounding the remains, this thesis aims to add how such colonial thinking and power structures have been reinforced through the debate of cultural heritage ownership.Show less
After Suharto stepped down in 1998, buried grievances between natives and migrants, and Christians and Muslims, came to light. During this post-Suharto period, large-scale communal and separatist...Show moreAfter Suharto stepped down in 1998, buried grievances between natives and migrants, and Christians and Muslims, came to light. During this post-Suharto period, large-scale communal and separatist conflicts broke out across the archipelago. This thesis analyses three of these conflicts and questions why the indigenous populations of West Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, and Papua resorted to collective violence against internal labour migrants in post- Suharto Indonesia, and asks under what historical and socio-economic conditions group boundaries were made, maintained and defended. By answering these questions, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of what drives collective violence against labour migrants, and looks to identify general mechanisms of collective violence by analysing the erosion of intergroup boundaries.Show less
Comparison between four case studies about Dutch colonial violent conflicts in Indonesia, also questioning the need for a separation in the colonial historiography of the Netherlands between the...Show moreComparison between four case studies about Dutch colonial violent conflicts in Indonesia, also questioning the need for a separation in the colonial historiography of the Netherlands between the VOC and the post-VOC colonial period.Show less
Two decades since the Bali bombings in 2002, terrorism still occurs nearly annually in Indonesia. This is despite a strong determination from the Indonesian government to eradicate the threat. This...Show moreTwo decades since the Bali bombings in 2002, terrorism still occurs nearly annually in Indonesia. This is despite a strong determination from the Indonesian government to eradicate the threat. This thesis will therefore attempt to provide an answer to the question: “Why has the Indonesian government, since the Bali bombings of 2002, so far failed to eradicate the terrorism threat, despite the police initially showing success in the aftermath of these bombings?”. In a literature review it will be noted that various authors answer this question by referring to the lack of military involvement in Indonesia’s counter-terrorism efforts. Though, in their arguments the long-term effects of such measures are often ill-considered. Therefore, this thesis will attempt to answer the research question by examining these long-term effects. The core of the argumentation will entail that the ‘hard’ approach that has been implemented by the government since the Bali bombings has created a backlash. Terrorists exploit human rights violations committed by the security forces and a significant amount of those who are incarcerated recidivate.Show less
Indonesia is experiencing a phenomenon that is called the moral turn. Increasingly, people are aiming to regulate the moralities of others and their private lives. This trend is happening at the...Show moreIndonesia is experiencing a phenomenon that is called the moral turn. Increasingly, people are aiming to regulate the moralities of others and their private lives. This trend is happening at the same time as others, like polarization. By analysing three pieces of recent (proposed) legislation that are examples of the moral turn (the Family Resilience Bill, the Sexual Violence Bill and the Criminal Code), I look at whether and to what extent the moral turn is polarizing Indonesian society. In the end, I argue that the moral turn in Indonesia has highlighted the divisions between pluralists, nationalists and liberalist on the one hand and moralists and Islamists on the other, but that it has most importantly brought these groups together as they came to several agreements around the legislative debates.Show less
