History + Politics Indonesia
Within our group of six
we each have very different interests. For example, I like to have a little
background information of a country before I visit it, a little history. That
way you can truly appreciate everything you see. You can see how far they’ve
come. So before we begin our journey in Jakarta, I thought it would be helpful
to understand its history and politics. Indonesia has come a long way from what
it used to be…
A few political facts about Jakarta:
-
It’s the
capital of Indonesia
-
It’s a
Provence, one of the 26 in Indonesia
-
Jakarta is
ruled by a governor. Currently: Dr. Ing. H. Fauzi Bowo
-
Population: 9,580,000
-
Jakarta is the largest city in terms of population in
South East Asia.
-
World's largest Muslim country with 86% Muslim
population
-
…
The Independence of Indonesia
Indonesia has an
impressive political history. Before Indonesia became independent it was
divided into many different colonies. The Portuguese were the first to come to shore,
followed closely by the Dutch. At first, the Dutch
came more as traders under the trading umbrella of the Royal East Indies
Company. Is it bad that this is the first time I hear ‘East Indies Trading Company’
not in relation with ‘Pirates of The Caribbean’? You gotta love Jack Sparrow!
For the
next two centuries, the Dutch conducted business with the natives, although in
many cases the trade was not on equal terms. Then the VOC went bankrupt and the
Dutch government took over business. The period was
disrupted briefly when the British took over colonial rule in 1811 to 1814. And in the early 20th century, the natives of Nusantara
learned that as diverse as their ethnicities were, they could imagine themselves
as a unified community, it was clear that the end of Dutch colonialism in
Indonesia was only a matter of time.
During
World War II, the Japanese occupied Indonesia. Although short-lived, the
occupation enabled Indonesians to arm themselves for the very first time.
Shortly after Japan's defeat in WWII, Indonesia
was proclaimed an independent state. As you can see they came a long way
before becoming independent. It’s interesting how Indonesia is made up from so
many different ethnicities, despite their differences they managed to pull
together and fight for their independence.
Rule of Indonesia
Indonesia is a presidential
representative democratic republic. This means that the President is both head
of state and head of government and of a multi-party system. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the
current president of Indonesia. He was elected in 2004 and ran for re-election
in 2009 and won.
Indonesia was ruled by
a man named Suharto for 31 years before he was forced to resign in 1998 due to
opposition by students. The reason he got re-elected every time was because he tightly
controlled politics; not even the slightest room was available for opposition. Since then Indonesian political and governmental
structures have undergone major reforms.
I know the
post about Suharto is a bit random but I read an entire text about him, what he
did, and what happened when they tried to get him to resign. I thought it was
worth mentioning him. The riots that he evoked were catastrophic. Here’s the
link if you want to read more about him: http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/indonesia/jakarta/jakarta-overview/history-of-jakarta.html
Current situation
The trial
of Umar Patek, the principal suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings, has started in
Jakarta. He is accused of an attack on Kuta, Bali’s tourist district, that
killed 202 people.
Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/feb/13/bali-bomber-suspect-trial-begins-video?INTCMP=SRCH
With these
facts and a little history under my belt I’m ready to start our journey. I know
what to expect when I arrive, I know what is current among the people there. We
certainly won’t be ignorant tourists ;)
Xoxo
Kimberley
Sources
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