by Patrick Guntensperger

Indonesia’s history is one of the struggle for freedom from oppression. From its ancient feudal origins, characterised by hereditary rule of small fiefdoms and conquest as the result of rivalries among warlords, the road to democracy in the archipelago once called Nusantara has been a rocky one.

After they were stumbled upon by European explorers, the islands were quickly colonised by traders in the spices that grew so abundantly in the lush tropical climate. First the English and then the Dutch exercised their power with varying degrees of brutality as they exploited the people, the islands, and the spices they coveted. Right up to the 20^th Century, the Dutch continued to rule the islands as the “Dutch East Indies”, until the Japanese wrested control as part of their empire building in Southeast Asia in the early years of World War II. The Japanese conquerors were known neither for their benevolent gentleness nor their adherence to principles of human rights.

Indonesia’s post-war history starts with Soekarno, her first home-grown dictator, who was later deposed by a cartel of his generals led by Soeharto, as part of a vicious and bloody “anti-communist” purge that saw as many as 1,000,000 Indonesian citizens slaughtered, with more imprisoned in concentration camps, ostensibly for their communist leanings.

Soeharto himself, once his power was consolidated, ruled the country for thirty years with any serious opposition tending to disappear in the night after visits from his military forces. With the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990’s Soeharto’s power base began to crumble; in the midst of the instability, riots racked Jakarta, with the police and military standing by observing as gang rapes of ethnic Chinese Indonesian women, beatings, looting, and brutal atrocities were committed. More >

by Patrick Guntensperger

There have been four Indonesian heads of state since Soeharto’s 30 year dictatorship ended when he was forced to step down during the Asian economic crisis in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Habibie, who stepped up and lasted less than two years until he was deposed by Abdurrahman (Gus Dur) Wahid. Gus Dur ran things until Indonesia’s founding dictator Soekarno’s daughter, Megawati Soekarnoputri was appointed president by her party (PDI-P) in 2001.

In the country’s first direct election, she was soundly trounced by one of her former cabinet ministers, another retired general, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He assumed the presidency and, at this writing seems poised to win a second mandate at the polls when, at the beginning of July this year, the people once again cast their votes for both the head of state and the country’s vice-president. It is unlikely that a run-off election will be necessary, as SBY is likely to win a clear majority; if he doesn’t, he will almost certainly be installed as president for five more years after a runoff election later this year.

From virtually any standpoint, Indonesia is becoming more democratic every day; some might even say that human rights are assuming a higher priority in this most-anxious-to-develop of developing nations. Nevertheless, Indonesia has a very long way to go. More >