Ariel Heryanto

Examining problems that confront Indonesia today, respected commentators speak of militarism, democratization, human rights, corruption, economic liberalization, employment, management of religious and ethnic diversity, women’s participation, and globalization.

In the 1950s most men (and a few women) of letters were usually active in political parties. Many took positions in the government. . . Politicians of that period not only took a great interest in culture and arts, many (including the first president and members of his state cabinet) produced intellectual analyses or artistic works at some time during their career development.

Heryanto, Ariel (2004) “A Tale of Two Crises”, Latitudes, 43 (Aug): 52-55.

keywords: culture, economic crisis, Latitudes, post-authoritarian, post-colonial

2001_02_Vol1_LATITUDES Remembering and Dismembering Indonesia-c

“Today this inability to recognize the constructedness of social identities is responsible, to a considerable extent, for the widespread violence that threatens to dismember the nation.”

Heryanto, Ariel (2001) “Remembering and Dismembering Indonesia”, Latitudes, 1 (Feb): 10-15.

keywords: construct, ethnicity, identity politics, Latitudes, nationality, New Order, violence

1999_11_02_THE NATION Mass Media-ting East Timor-c

Heryanto, Ariel (1999) “Mass Media-ting East Timor”, The Nation, 2 November 1999: A5.

keywords: Australia-Indonesia, East Timor, independence, mass media, The Nation

1999_02_16 TJP Race Means Different Things in RI and S’pore-c

“The Indonesian government legislates some blatantly racist policies. Officials make racist-sounding statements. But they fall short of effectiveness in actual practice. Life for most ordinary Indonesians is generally less racialised and more hybridised than that in Malaysia and Singapore. Compared to their neighbours, Indonesians are generally more independent of governmental patron- age and intervention. In Malaysia and Singapore, it takes a strong government’s top-down measures to create and maintain racial integration for the sake of long-term national resilience. In Indonesia, it takes a top-down measure to provoke widespread racial violence for the short- term political agenda of rival groups in the elite vying to fill the state power vacuum in times of crisis, such as now.”

Heryanto, Ariel (1999) “Race Means Different Things in RI and S’pore”, The Jakarta Post, 16 February 1999: 1.

Also appeared as “Indonesia’s Different Language of Race”, The Straits Times, 25 February 1999: 32.

keywords: ethnic harmony, Jakarta Post, political culture, racial discrimination, Straits Times

The smiles were interpreted as if they were a well calculated gesture, a part of a larger strategy on the part of the suspect and his captors to achieve political gains (for instance, for the police to appear humane in public, and for the suspect to avoid heavy sentencing). Cultures have no objective reasoning outside themselves.

Heryanto, Ariel (2002) “Politically Incorrect Smiles: Bali Incident”, UniNews (The University of Melbourne), 16-30/12: 5.

Previously appeared in The Jakarta Post, 25 November 2002,

2002_11_15_TJP Politically incorrect smiles_ Bali incident-c

keywords: Amrozi, Australia, cultural, Jakarta Post, language, smile, Bali bomb

1996_Oct_Dec_48_II The student movement-c

Heryanto, Ariel (1996) “The Student Movement”, translated by Keith Foucher, Inside Indonesia, 48 (Oct-Dec): 10-12.

also appeared in German as “1995_Die Studentenbewegung in Indonesien” (click here).

keywords: cultural politics, illusion, Inside Indonesia, myths, nationalism, student movement

The mid-May violence in Jakarta and several other cities could best be described as racialized state-terrorism, rather than racially motivated mass riots. Failure to recognize the difference has been alarmingly endemic in media coverage. … Not only can such misleading coverage boost racial antagonism, more seriously it implicitly exonerates the real culprits.

Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Flaws of riot media coverage”, The Jakarta Post, 15 July 1998: 4.

keywords: May 1998, Jakarta Post, masculine, militarized, racism, riots, state terrorism, violence

also re-published in the following versions:

• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “May riots: Racism not to blame”, The Straits Times, 20 July 1998: 34.
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) Lianhe Zaobao, 26 July 1998: 4,
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “State-terrorism fuels riots and rapes”, The Nation, 27 July 1998: 5.
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Jalajol Indonesia: pho.ko.ro. kha jek” (The Indonesian Riot: Massacra of Chinese by State Terrorists], Nation Sudsapda, 7: 322, 6-12 August 1998: 27,
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Jalajol Indonesia: wiphak seu sabson” (The Indonesian Riot: A Critique of Confusing Media Reports), Nation Sudsapda, 7: 323, 13-19 August 1998: 18.
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Flawed Media Coverage”, Aliran Monthly, 18 (7), Agustus 1998: 11-13.
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Terorisme Negara dengan Isu Rasial”, Jawa Pos, 24 Agustus 1998.
• Heryanto, Ariel (1998) “Terorisme Negara dengan Isu Rasial”, dalam Leo Suryadinata (ed), Pemikiran Politik Etnis Tionghoa Indonesia 1900-2002, Jakarta: LP3ES, 2005: 369-373.

See also under the category of “Other Languages”.

1999_02_25_TST Indonesia’s Different Language of Race-c

“The Indonesian government legislates some blatantly racist policies. Officials make racist sounding statements. But they fall short of effectiveness in actual practice. Life for most ordinary Indonesians is generally less racialized and more hybridized than that in Malaysia and Singapore. Compared to their neighbors, Indonesians are generally more independent of governmental patronage and intervention. In Malaysia and Singapore it takes a strong government’s top-down measures to create for the sake of long-term national resilience. In Indonesia it takes a top-down measure to provoke widespread racial violence for the short-term political agenda of rival groups in the elite vying to fill the state power vacuum in times of crisis such as now.”

Heryanto, Ariel (1999) “Indonesia’s Different Language of Race”, The Straits Times, 25 February 1999: 32.

Also appeared as “Race Means Different Things in RI and S’pore”, The Jakarta Post, 16 February 1999.

keywords: ethnic harmony, Jakarta Post, political culture, racial discrimination, Straits Times

1996_10_17_FEER_ Shedding Light on Megawati-c

“A leading force behind Megawati’s rise is the New Order government itself. By launching measures intended to undermine her popularity, the government has ironically boosted it. Thousands of dissidents came to defend Megawati as a convenient rallying icon. While uniformly applauding Megawati, they are more interested in expressing discontent with the government than in championing her.”

Heryanto, Ariel (1996) “Shedding Light on Megawati”, Far Eastern Economic Review, 17 October 1996: 32.

keywords: Far Eastern Economic Review, Megawati, opposition, spectacles, theatrical