Decentralisation and Ethnic Politics in West Kalimantan
Taufiq Tanasaldy, Australian National University and University of New South Wales at ADFA
The sudden fall of the centralistic and authoritarian New Order in May 1998 drastically changed the landscape of Indonesian local politics. Newly found political freedom as well as opportunities made available by decentralization policies have generated strong political and social dynamics in the regions. Ethnic politics, or the struggle for power among ethnic groups, has become increasingly visible at local levels. In West Kalimantan the struggle has been between indigenous Dayak and migrant Malay communities. Dayak politicians used the ethnic card in their political maneuvers to win some district head elections. The Malays were relatively quiet initially, and only became involved in subsequent power struggles as a response to mounting Dayak pressure. In some cases, ethnic politics have transformed into ‘religious politics’ as the Malays and Dayaks have a quite clear cut religious affiliation. This paper will examine how the assertions of identity and ethnic politics have played out in West Kalimantan after the Reform period.
