Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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Instagram has added a new dimension to the performance of one's religous Islamic identity online. This dimension has created a spectrum of online expressions of religiosity where 'being a pious...Show moreInstagram has added a new dimension to the performance of one's religous Islamic identity online. This dimension has created a spectrum of online expressions of religiosity where 'being a pious Muslim' and 'being modern' are compatible.Show less
Ever since the start of the war on terror, governments worldwide have struggled with countering the narratives that are spread by violent extremist organisations. Recent academic research has...Show moreEver since the start of the war on terror, governments worldwide have struggled with countering the narratives that are spread by violent extremist organisations. Recent academic research has produced several prescriptions that indicate what aspects potentially successful counter-narrative, alternative narrative and government strategic communications programmes need to possess. Testing the scholarly recommendations on target audience, message, messenger and medium to the actual policies of Malaysia and Indonesia, it becomes apparent that the policies of both states are partially congruent with the dominant ideas in the literature. However, what both Malaysia and Indonesia lack is a clear delineation of target audiences based on level of radicalisation, the provision of alternative things to do to complement their alternative narrative programmes and a comprehensive strategy to combine online and offline measures to achieve the most sustainable effect. Still, when comparing the respective policies of the two states, it must be noted that Malaysia is more congruent with the scholarly prescriptions than Indonesia. The most important differences between the two states are that the Malaysian authorities showcase a more sophisticated awareness and application of the relevant academic definitions and take a rather comprehensive approach to providing government strategic communications, the latter of which is practically lacking in the case of Indonesia.Show less
The economic benefits brought by Indonesia’s palm oil industry come with significant environmental costs including yearly forest fires and transboundary haze. The slow progress of state regulatory...Show moreThe economic benefits brought by Indonesia’s palm oil industry come with significant environmental costs including yearly forest fires and transboundary haze. The slow progress of state regulatory efforts spurred some international private stakeholders to form a private multi-stakeholder governance institution; the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which uses market-driven instruments such as sustainability certification to promote environmentally sound practices among its members. Using a mix-method design analyses on interviews, meeting minutes, attendance records and other primary and secondary data, the thesis assesses RSPO against three global political economy schools of thought: neoclassical, statist and critical political economy. The findings support the neoclassical perspective to a certain extent as they show that RSPO has gradually built a robust and comprehensive sustainability certification system with a strong focus on peatland management and protection. RSPO achieves its progress, despite the voluntary nature of its membership, by establishing a strong foundation of democratic governance within its decision-making processes. However, the thesis also finds an imbalance of political power between the different membership sectors in RSPO’s internal governance and an accumulation of authority in the hands of a few influential members that have resulted in marginalization of certain stakeholders, most notably the Indonesian growers and civil societies. The perceived lack of political representation of Indonesian stakeholders in RSPO - an institution that purports to ‘govern’ one of the most lucrative industries in the nation - seems to validate the statists’ notion that PMG institutions seek to reduce and replace the role of the state. This exclusivity has led to the formation of a rival certification system by the state: The Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil.Show less
On the 25th of November 1945, shortly after the capitulation of Japan, the Dutch General W. Schilling wrote a memorandum to van Mook (the Luitenant Governor General of Indonesia) advising against...Show moreOn the 25th of November 1945, shortly after the capitulation of Japan, the Dutch General W. Schilling wrote a memorandum to van Mook (the Luitenant Governor General of Indonesia) advising against military operations in Indonesia. He had a far more pessimistic view of the situation in the (former) colony then his colleagues. This thesis explores the background of Schilling's advice and the reasons why his opinion was different from that of other officers.Show less
As the Global War on Terror increased counterterrorism in Indonesia, Indonesian Jihadi groups found themselves in a new position. On the one hand, counterterrorism units destroyed their...Show moreAs the Global War on Terror increased counterterrorism in Indonesia, Indonesian Jihadi groups found themselves in a new position. On the one hand, counterterrorism units destroyed their organization. On the other hand, it encouraged them to ally with international terrorist networks such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL. This thesis provides an analysis of the Indonesian government’s counterterrorism strategy towards the rising threat of terrorism. In order to understand this relationship, this thesis looks into the role of counterterrorism on the alliance formation process of local Jihadi groups with larger international network. After the Bali bombings in 2002, the Indonesian government started to build its counterterrorism capacity according to good governance principles. Counterterrorism efforts where sharpened, and with success: Indonesia’s largest Jihadi group Jemaah Islamiyah, was largely dismantled by Indonesian counterterrorism units. However, through the funding of Al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah was able to conduct several other attacks. This left the government no choice than to increase the role of the Indonesian Military in counterterrorism operations. More raids, arrests and killings of Indonesian Jihadi members stimulated the number of terrorist attacks against the Indonesian government and thus, revenge became one of the primary reasons for terrorism. This thesis finds that the relationship between counterterrorism and terrorism is an increasing spiral of violence. Furthermore, counterterrorism units have been able to weaken local Jihadi groups’ internal strength. The findings show that this internal breakdown has influenced some of the local Jihadi’s group decision to ally with larger international networks such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL.Show less
