Local Civil-Military Relations during the First Phase of Democratic Transition, 1999-2004: A Comparison of West, Central, and East Java

Page range: 75-96This essay studies political developments that have taken place in three Javanese provinces since the 1999 general elections, which instituted a number of structural reforms intended to decentralize power and promote democracy. Honna demonstrates that, in these provinces, alliances between elite concession holders and various preman groups have overwhelmed civil society movements, which try to organize political power from below. The essay analyzes the political techniques used by these alliances, and shows that the Indonesian military has taken quiet advantage of such developments. The ways in which local military elites have manipulated civilian politics are also discussed in detail