Berdikari - The Common Ground in the Kei Islands - Galang Press

His darkly prophetic, and highly political, closing reflection was that this was a deeply riven society, unable to resolve its differences through every-day dialogue. That conclusion is, to my mind, the key to the importance of this present book. This book was in fact written about a decade ago, while the New Order was still at its height. No one predicted that the New Order would end by plunging several areas of Indonesia into bloody ethnic conflict. The Kei Islands were among them. Hundreds were killed in vicious fighting in and around Tual beginning on 31 March 1999. Those wanting to understand the conflict in this and other remote areas (though remote only in relation to Jakarta!) turned to the anthropological literature with a new sense of urgency. Political analysts came to this literature with questions it was often not designed to answer. But Laksono's study was different. It did offer substantial insight into the problem of ethnic conflict in Southeast Maluku. —This contemporary relevance will expand the readership of this book beyond the circle of anthropologists to include all those interested in the transformation of the Indonesian state after the end of the authoritarian New Order. The most fascinating aspect of Laksono's study, to my admittedly biassed mind as a political analyst, is the relationship he observes between the growth of the 'modern' state and an increasing parochialism in Southeast Maluku. Far from weakening 'primordial' bonds and opening up more cosmopolitan life chances for the ordinary people of the Kei Islands, as modernisation theory said was supposed to happen, the introduction of the modern state seems to have sharpened the differences between people. —Gerry van Klinken Judul Buku: The Common Ground in the Kei Islands Penulis: Pashalis Maria Laksono Penerbit: Galang Press, 2002 Kategori: Sosial, Politik ISBN: 9799341450 Bahasa: Inggris Dimensi: 14x21 cm | Softcover Tebal: xxii+268 hlm | HVS