Autonomy and Disintegration in Indonesia (review)

Second, while the physical geography, concept and definition of Southeast Asian states may remain unchanged (plus or, more likely, minus as in secession), the economics, political economy, and regional context of relations and interactions have changed and are still evolving. This is witnessed by ASEAN itself in an additive process in terms of regional trade agreements with China, Japan, India, ASEAN Plus Three which has Korea, all still within Asia, as well as extra-regional pacts as with Australia and New Zealand in their Closer Economic Relations, the United States or the European Union at some future time. Finally, the role of multilateral institutions cannot be discounted, like the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, International Labour Organization, Asian Development Bank, even academic and tripartite ones like Pacific Economic Co-operation Committee, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation or nebulous and more controversial ones like the East Asian Economic Grouping or Asian Monetary Fund which have spawned more credible mutants. All in all, libraries, institutions, and universities cannot miss such a set in their collection. The set would give first-timers as well as veteran Southeast Asian intellectual workers much to work on in their respective ways. It is a handy set of references and for such a diversified and complex region, it may be the most expeditious way to wade through specific and cross-cutting issues. LINDA LOW Institute ofSoutheast Asian Studies, Singapore, and Strategic Planning, Department of Economy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Autonomy and Disintegration in Indonesia. Edited by Damien Kingsbury and Harry Aveling. London: Routledge Curzon, 2003. Pp.219. Since the passage of regional autonomy laws in Indonesia, that country has moved headlong into one of the most massive transfers of political power in recent history. But Indonesia choose not to grant autonomy to the provinces but to the almost 400 regencies across the archipelago. Jakarta has also made special deals with the two most troublesome and independence-minded provinces of Aceh and Papua, granting them exceptions with the devolution of power to the provincial level. Autonomy and Disintegration in Indonesia is an exploration of this. It also grants considerable space to the problem of independence and communal-related conflicts. A central theme that runs through this book is whether Indonesia will be able to continue in its current form — the book's title gives the first hint. A number of authors raise question marks over Indonesia's future. Kingsbury writes in the introduction: "Since 1997, Indonesia has been heading down a path towards what has very often seemed like disintegration." (p. 1). Ruth McVey ponders whether or not Indonesia has lost some cohesion in recent times (p. 11) and Ann Kumar leaves the question hanging: "Can the central government hold Indonesia together?" (p. 45). Rizal Sukma, Indonesian academic and political advisor, also mentions that Indonesia is in danger of breaking up into a collection of smaller units (p. 66). Certainly the spectre of Indonesia's coming collapse is a national obsession among the Indonesian political elite. The reader gets a slightly different reflection on this problem in Edward Aspinall's chapter, which, although largely on the problem of Aceh, indicates that Indonesia as an entity may have stronger bonds than the others suggest. Otherwise how can Indonesia's cohesion outside of Aceh and Papua be explained? Aspinall notes for example that anti-Jakarta sentiment in Riau and Banten failed to generate widespread independence movements in both cases because they lack the history of military repression, which is highly evident in Aceh and Papua (p. 145). The barriers to Indonesia's dissolution are still formidable, and range from the strength of Indonesian nationalism outside of Aceh and Papua, and the extreme reluctance of the international community to see Indonesia fail. ASEAN Economic Bulletin 336 Vol. 21, No. 3, December 2004 There are other differences between the chapters of this book. The book starts with three theoretical overview chapters on the nature of state in Indonesia and in developing societies in general. Paul James, in a very thought-provoking essay, has clearly had the advantage of seeing an advance version of Ruth McVey's paper, which he systematically critiques and criticizes — apparently McVey declined to enter into the...