This thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the Jakarta gubernatorial elections of 2017. The thesis employs a qualitative discourse analysis method that researches online articles of news portals Tempo.co, Kompas, and The Jakarta Post. To understand discourse on the Chinese-Christian identity in its proper context, first is researched what the Chinese identity means within Indonesian society by taking a historical perspective. Secondly, this thesis explores the role of religion in modern Indonesian politics as well as the political and religious context of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections. News articles linked to Ahok’s blasphemy case, demonstrations against Ahok, and the elections are selected for analysis. In total 42 articles have been analyzed. The results show that there is difference in writing styles between English and Indonesian language based online news portals. Whereas the Indonesian language based news portals remain neutral to Ahok’s identity as Christian-Chinese by not referring to it, the English language based The Jakarta Post creates a narrative in which Ahok is emphasized as part of a Christian-Chinese minority.Show less
This study aims to answer the question regarding what language policies of Japan and the Netherlands were used in Korea and Indonesia in the period from 1910to 1945. In brief, I researched the...Show moreThis study aims to answer the question regarding what language policies of Japan and the Netherlands were used in Korea and Indonesia in the period from 1910to 1945. In brief, I researched the differences between the Netherlands and Japan. The political attitude towards the two different colonies might have been the biggest difference between the two colonisers. Therefore, I gave this subject the most attention during the writing of this thesis. I was curious about the different political policies that the Netherlands and Japan had regarding their language implementation in the colony. This thesis is a literature study that focuses on the available material of the two colonizers and their respective colonies. In brief, this thesis shows that Japan had a more direct and aggressive approach to colonization compared to the Netherlands. While the Netherlands mainly focused on becoming as rich as possible from the trade,the Japanese wanted to completely assimilate Korea.Several interesting differences were noticeable;one of those was Japan’s assimilation policy, which resulted in the uniform Kokuga language/culture. Conversely, the Dutch did not try their utmost to make Dutch the uniform language in Indonesia. Furthermore, the Japanese forbid the use of other languages apart from Japanese whereas the Dutch accepted the use of Malay, Portuguese and many other languages.Show less
This thesis explores the relation between radio and identity politics in the Dutch East Indies (1927-1942). Although Indies radio in this early period is often dismissed as somewhat inconsequential...Show moreThis thesis explores the relation between radio and identity politics in the Dutch East Indies (1927-1942). Although Indies radio in this early period is often dismissed as somewhat inconsequential or apolitical, this study argues that a better look at its cultural registers and the motives behind its development betray a significant relation between Indies radio stations and colonial identity politics. Whether it was the PHOHI, which was developed to strengthen Dutch identity and authority, the NIROM, which strongly segmented between eastern and western audiences, or the eastern stations, founded in reaction to the severe underrepresentation of eastern cultures, almost all stations were involved in the segmentation of Indies society. Although such segmentation might have affirmed the ‘rule of colonial difference’ and thereby strengthened colonial rule, this study argues that any such effect would have been weakened by the increasing number of audiences with hybrid identities, as these undermined the categories of colonial hierarchy. Meanwhile radio continued to catalyse the polarization of eastern and western identities, weakening the cohesion and stability of Indies society.Show less
This thesis places Indonesia’s strategic regional policy for dealing with power competition within Asia in the context of its relationship with ASEAN, China and the US. The main question this...Show moreThis thesis places Indonesia’s strategic regional policy for dealing with power competition within Asia in the context of its relationship with ASEAN, China and the US. The main question this thesis addresses is whether Indonesia, as a secondary state in the Southeast Asian region, is more likely to deal with the politics of the regional order through power balancing or institutional enmeshment. It will compare the arguments of Robert R. Ross, who argues that the balance of power in Asia-Pacific politics is affected by military power, and Evelyn Goh, who argues that the regional order is more complex and that regional frameworks such as ASEAN will also help influence larger regional counterweights such as China. In focusing on the power balancing actions that secondary states take, Ross argues that Indonesia uses military power, with the US by its side, to balance against China. Goh does not believe Indonesia can simply power balance against China, but that it will also try to enmesh China in regional entities. Both Ross’s and Goh’s arguments will be tested through a case study on Indonesia’s behaviour in the regional dispute in the South China Sea to determine which of the two arguments is more relevant to Indonesia’s strategic regional policy. This study is relevant because it provides a more detailed analysis of Indonesia’s capabilities to deal with power competition in the region. This thesis concludes that Indonesia is more likely to deal with power competition in the Asia-Pacific through the enmeshment theory of Evelyn Goh.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis examines the ways in which the history of 1965-66 is remembered and represented in contemporary Indonesia, both in national public space and among a group of high school pupils in...Show moreThis thesis examines the ways in which the history of 1965-66 is remembered and represented in contemporary Indonesia, both in national public space and among a group of high school pupils in Yogyakarta. The history of 1965-66, a history of mass killings and imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of alleged communist Indonesians, has for a long time been silenced and mystified by anti-communist myth-making that was created under Suharto’s authoritarian rule. Despite the end of Suharto’s regime in 1998 and numerous attempts to counter the state propaganda, this master-narrative that labels victims as perpetrators deserving of their fate is still widely available in contemporary Indonesian state and society. This thesis examines how and why master- and counter-narratives of “1965” continue to exist and circulate in Indonesia today. By combining a focus on contestations of the past in public space with research into the perceptions of the younger generation in particular, it explores how the politics of memory work in everyday practice. A survey conducted among 170 high school pupils in Yogyakarta provides unique insight into the highly complex and problematic ways in which the history of 1965-66 is remembered by a group of young Indonesians today. Thereby, this thesis provides further insight into the lasting legacies of mass violence in post-authoritarian Indonesia.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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Income inequality in Indonesia increased rapidly between 2003 and 2011. The Gini coefficient increased 28 percent, from 0.32 to 0.41 over the period. My dissertation aims to identify the underlying...Show moreIncome inequality in Indonesia increased rapidly between 2003 and 2011. The Gini coefficient increased 28 percent, from 0.32 to 0.41 over the period. My dissertation aims to identify the underlying driving factors behind the drastic increase. The dissertation deals with the three potential driving factors for the rising income inequality in Indonesia: The commodity boom in 2003-2011, the changes in the structure of Indonesian growth, labour market and wages in the 2000s, and the impact of fiscal policy. I find that the commodity boom between 2003 and 2011 had a strong distributional consequence by substantially altering the distribution and relative returns of capital and labour through two channels: Firstly, through generating prominent capital-incomes for the capital-owners. And secondly, the commodity boom was associated with the adverse development in Indonesian labour market in the 2000s via Dutch Disease effects. The labour market development, for the lower income quintiles, was characterized by increased shifts from higher productivity and formal employment to low productivity, low pay, and informal employment in the service sector and small manufacturing firms. While simultaneously the formality rate and skill premium increased in the highest income quintile relative to the rest. I also find that the use of fiscal policy to mitigate the distributional consequences of the commodity boom has been inadequate. The fiscal policy between 2003 and 2011 has, to a large extent, neglected pro-poor and pro-growth measures, strongly reflecting the lack of political will to balance out the increasingly unequal income distribution in Indonesia.Show less
Indonesia is named the second biggest contributor to plastic waste in the oceans and the third largest polluter in the world. Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, population growth, economic...Show moreIndonesia is named the second biggest contributor to plastic waste in the oceans and the third largest polluter in the world. Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, population growth, economic growth and a consumption boom resulted in an increase in waste. It is said that municipal solid waste increased with 162,5% in the last decade. In 2009, 81% of this waste was disposed of in open dumping landfills, which are often badly managed. Only 7% of it was recycled. Open dumping landfills is causing both health-and environment-related problems, and caused many deaths in 2005, marking the failure of traditional waste management. The necessity of proper waste management led to the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Act on May 8, 2008. The international and more sustainable concept of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) began to be used, thus replacing the traditional End-of-Pipe treatment. In this sociological research, I hope to answer the question of what the significance is of 3R for waste management in Indonesia, with a main focus on policies, developments, and citizen involvement.Show less
This paper examines the impact of democratization on the social spending behavior of Indonesia and the Philippines. Comparing social spending as a percentage of central government spending and as a...Show moreThis paper examines the impact of democratization on the social spending behavior of Indonesia and the Philippines. Comparing social spending as a percentage of central government spending and as a share of GDP over a period of approximately ten years before and after democratization, one can’t observe a significant change in the social policy priorities of politicians. Although theory would suggest that democratization would increase the awareness of politicians to focus more on the social well-being of its citizen, investments in human capital remained largely unchanged. This paper argues that the persistence of elites, both at national and local level, prevents a substantial change in social spending to materialize. Drawn from several empirical studies and secondary literature, this paper shows how the rent-seeking attitudes of elites translates into a major burden for lower-class groups to enter the political domain and to change social policy (spending) to their favor.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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High public support for anticorruption campaigns exists already for a long time in Indonesia. However, since the establishment of a celebrated anticorruption body during democratic times, all three...Show moreHigh public support for anticorruption campaigns exists already for a long time in Indonesia. However, since the establishment of a celebrated anticorruption body during democratic times, all three government branches have shown members to make attempts to weaken the anticorruption body after they became suspects in corruption cases. Elitists in the Indonesian government openly fight the morally supported KPK anticorruption body.Show less
The Japanese population and its healthcare system is under pressure. The population is declining drastically; the amount of elderly is increasing heavily and with the costs to take care of them...Show moreThe Japanese population and its healthcare system is under pressure. The population is declining drastically; the amount of elderly is increasing heavily and with the costs to take care of them will be heavy. Their increasingly chasing population structure is a major concern for politicians and companies alike. Too often Japanese politicians keep this status quo alive, on one hand they agree that Japan needs to introduce pro-immigration policies but on the other hand, when it comes to implement real and viable policies they ignore it. Japanese politicians are hesitant to call for increased immigration, due to fear from the public. These fears often stem from some underbelly feeling, which also fueled by the Media. The introduction of the Foreign nurses and caretakers was a first step into the right direction. Sadly, the outcome was insignificant and had practically no influence. This program shows the weakness of the Japanese immigration policies. It lacks flexibility, practicality and long-term vision.Show less
Islamic banking can be considered as a ‘hot topic’ throughout the world’s banking sector. Not only in some Middle Eastern countries Islamic banking became one of the most important forms of banking...Show moreIslamic banking can be considered as a ‘hot topic’ throughout the world’s banking sector. Not only in some Middle Eastern countries Islamic banking became one of the most important forms of banking next to conventional banking, but also in Southeast Asia there was a genesis of Islamic finance. Since the Islamic banking sector in Indonesia is still relatively small compared to the conventional banking system in the country, this thesis aims at discovering the growth of the Islamic banking sector in Indonesia since the emergence of the first Islamic banks. What was the cause of this growth of the Islamic banking sector in Indonesia and what was the role of the government in this? How did the banking sector itself contribute to the growth of Islamic banking and what role had Islam in this whole story? The research question that this thesis thus aims to answer is: how did the Islamic banking sector in Indonesia evolve within the spheres of religion, business and politics since the 1990s?Show less
The central theme of this master thesis is how in Indonesia the relationship between the idea of democracy and the resulting political change that can be drawn from the 1900 to 1960. By means of a...Show moreThe central theme of this master thesis is how in Indonesia the relationship between the idea of democracy and the resulting political change that can be drawn from the 1900 to 1960. By means of a definition of constitutional democracy and the models of “constitutive localization” of Amitav Acharya (2009), this research has been carried out. This showed that with constitutive localization, the idea of democracy generates indigenous political change. It is necessary to take into account how particular local actors, or “idea entrepreneurs”, adopt foreign ideas to bring about political change. Their role is viewed as an effort to reconstruct foreign ideas to ensure the ideas fit with their cognitive priors and identities, which is identified as “congruence building”. Thus, a dynamic congruence building process, or “localization”, provides opportunity for foreign ideas, which may not initially cohere with local belief and practices, to be incorporated into the local norms. In Indonesian case, “Indonesian-Javanese paradigm” serves as the platform to appropriate and adapted the idea of democracy to local conditions. This analysis can serve as a diagnostic tool to help policy makers understand where and how consolidation of democratic forces could be harmonized in Indonesia. Through gaining a better understanding of the agency role of idea entrepreneur in spreading and defending democracy, this study will hopefully become an interesting case for study of political change in world politics.Show less
Public opinions, political visions and international interference were important aspects of the duration of the decolonisation wars in Indonesia and Algeria after the Second World War. These three...Show morePublic opinions, political visions and international interference were important aspects of the duration of the decolonisation wars in Indonesia and Algeria after the Second World War. These three factors influenced together the events that formed the wars. This thesis concentrates on these three aspects and shows how they are combined and explain the duration of the wars.Show less
Abstract: In Asia skin tone and whitening techniques were desirable and well described throughout the history. Indonesia is not an exception. The traces of whitening methods, portraits of ideal...Show moreAbstract: In Asia skin tone and whitening techniques were desirable and well described throughout the history. Indonesia is not an exception. The traces of whitening methods, portraits of ideal woman could be found in Indonesian literary works, legends as early as in ninth century as well as in modern literature and women’s magazines. Given the obsession of being white priority, the number of TV advertisements for skin-lightening products flooded the market and the need for them is intensely growing. The Indonesian beauty market is one of the fastest-growing beauty markets in Asia. Indonesian women follow the trend of being white shown in TV ads, but what can the content of these ads teach us about the reasons why people want to be whiter, or about the advertisers’ assumptions about those reasons, is still not well researched. This current study will try to contribute to the scientific knowledge in this field. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible ways of explaining the desire for whiteness by looking at the various positive associations which whiteness has for Indonesians. These positive associations include genetic excellence, hygiene and health, wealth and status, race, cosmopolitanism, the power of looks - “lookism” (discrimination or prejudice on the grounds of a person’s appearance), culture, social conformism, tradition (old cultural ideas in written and oral literature), modernity and try to trace them in four selected (two local brands and two international ones) contemporary TV whitening advertisements in Indonesia. The majority of these positive associations have their roots in antiquity and are not products of colonialism or modernity. Nevertheless, most of the TV skin whitening commercials in Indonesia (here, based on four examined ones) are constructed around modern ways of reasoning.Show less
This thesis deals with the Dutch governmental plans for re-establishment of the Dutch colonial army in the Netherlands East Indies, the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL) after the Second...Show moreThis thesis deals with the Dutch governmental plans for re-establishment of the Dutch colonial army in the Netherlands East Indies, the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL) after the Second World War would have ended. These plans were made between 1942 and 1945, when Japan occupied the Netherlands East Indies. After the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, Dutch preparations turned out to be insufficient, because of the different expectations the Dutch government had about the possibilities of the colonial soldiers than what they were capable of in reality. These colonial soldiers, both Dutch, Indo-Dutch and Indonesian, had been captured and used as forced labourers by the Japanese during the war years. They were unable to fight against Indonesian nationalists and therefore the Dutch government was forced to also call other armed forces from the Netherlands to Asia. Several plans that were made during the Second World War were the establishment of the Mariniersbrigade (Marine Corps), recruitment of war volunteers and from 1946, a call for Dutch conscript soldiers was also made. Especially the period between 15 August 1945 and March 1946, when the British occupational forces allowed Dutch forces to re-enter the colony for the first time, is rarely investigated in historiography. This thesis fills in that gap, both in time and in topic.Show less
