The New Order government (1966-1998) put great emphasis on developing Indonesia's agricultural sector. In this thesis, I aim to trace back the origin of this emphasis to the Dutch colonial regime...Show moreThe New Order government (1966-1998) put great emphasis on developing Indonesia's agricultural sector. In this thesis, I aim to trace back the origin of this emphasis to the Dutch colonial regime during the period of its Ethical Policy (1901-1942). Specifically, I explore the argument whether the New Order elites' historical experience of a bureaucratic Dutch colonial state can explain the New Order government's emphasis on agriculture. I argue that the existing state in the Indonesian archipelago in either period may not be as strongly bureaucratic as previously thought, that the argument of the New Order elites' historical experience of a bureaucratic Dutch colonial state may not explain the New Order government's emphasis on agriculture, and that both regimes' approaches to agricultural development may not be viewed entirely as state-led. These conclusions call for a reassessment of the existing state in the Indonesian archipelago in both periods together with a shift from state-centred to state-society approaches.Show less
This thesis seeks to determine which actor had the greatest amount of responsibility for the emergence of 1965-1966 anti-communist mass killings in Indonesia and to explore why each actor opted for...Show moreThis thesis seeks to determine which actor had the greatest amount of responsibility for the emergence of 1965-1966 anti-communist mass killings in Indonesia and to explore why each actor opted for indiscriminate violence. The piece will discuss the applicability of three explanations for mass violence while using Indonesia as a case study. First theory will analyze economic reasons such as military’s financial incentives for the killings and foreign economic influences that have possibly encouraged mass violence; the second theory will look at the role of citizens and local forces through a bottom-up approach. The third theory will suggest an original explanation by van der Maat who argues that mass violence occurs when a political elite attempts to safeguard its position and seeks to eradicate dangerous intra-elite rivals through genocidal consolidation.Show less
