The Forum Betawi Rempug (FBR) of Jakarta : an ethnic-cultural solidarity movement in a globalising Indonesia

Post-Suharto Indonesia has witnessed many significant changes to its socio-political landscape, with new political parties emerging and new socio-political demands being made by local actors that include NGOs and lobby groups. This paper looks at one of the local ethno-communitarian movements that have emerged over the past decade, the Forum Betawi Rempug (FBR), that aims to represent the interests of the Betawi people who inhabit the area in and around the capital Jakarta. The paper looks at how the FBR emerged as a local grassroots movement that champions the cause of the Betawi people, and what impact this may have on the relationship between local grassroots movements and the major political parties that are all based in the nation’s capital. It contrasts the FBR to other, more sectarian, groups like the Fron Pembela Islam (FPI) that have been more exclusive in its appeal to Muslims only, noting that the FBR is a group that brings together Betawians of different religious backgrounds too. The paper also considers what the long-term impact of groups like the FBR will be, as they engage with the country’s political parties in its attempt to gain support and leverage for its political demands