Local Power and Politics in Indonesia: Decentralisation and Democratisation

Indonesia is experiencing an historic and dramatic shift in political and economic power from the centre to the local level. The collapse of the highly centralised Soeharto regime allowed long-repressed local aspirations to come to the fore. The new Indonesian Government then began one of the world’s most radical decentralisation programmes, under which extensive powers are being devolved to the district level. In every region and province, diverse popular movements and local claimants to state power are challenging the central authorities.This book is the first comprehensive coverage on decentralisation in Indonesia. It contains contributions from leading academics and policy-makers on a wide range of topics relating to democratisation, devolution and the blossoming of local-level politics. CONTENTS TABLES FIGURES CONTRIBUTORS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS GLOSSARY 1. INTRODUCTION: DECENTRALISATION, DEMOCRATISATION AND THE RISE OF THE LOCAL PART I. Political and Economic Update 2. POLITICAL UPDATE 2002: MEGAWATI’S HOLDING OPERATION 3. ECONOMIC UPDATE 2002: STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM PART II. Decentralisation and Democratisation Overview 4. REGIONALAUTONOMYAND LOCAL POLITICS IN INDONESIA 5. NOT ENOUGH POLITICS! POWER, PARTICIPATION AND THE NEW DEMOCRATIC POLITY IN INDONESIA 6. WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND? THE PROGRESS OF DECENTRALISATION 7. NEW RULES, OLD STRUCTURES AND THE LIMITS OF DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALISATION PART III. Regional Case Studies 8. POWER AND POLITICS IN NORTH SUMATRA: THE UNCOMPLETED REFORMASI 9. WHO ARE THE ORANG RIAU? NEGOTIATING IDENTITY ACROSS GEOGRAPHIC AND ETHNIC DIVIDES 10. THE PRIVATISATION OF PADANG CEMENT: REGIONAL IDENTITY AND ECONOMIC HEGEMONY IN THE NEW ERA OF DECENTRALISATION 11. COMING APART AND STAYING TOGETHER AT THE CENTRE: DEBATES OVER PROVINCIAL STATUS IN JAVAAND MADURA 12. CHANGING THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF LOCAL POLITICS IN POST-AUTHORITARIAN INDONESIA: THE VIEW FROM BLORA, CENTRAL JAVA 13. BETWEEN RIGHTS AND REPRESSION: THE POLITICS OF SPECIALAUTONOMY IN PAPUA PART IV. Institutions and Society 14. DECENTRALISATION AND WOMEN IN INDONESIA: ONE STEP BACK, TWO STEPS FORWARD? 15. SHIFTING POWER TO THE PERIPHERY: THE IMPACT OF DECENTRALISATION ON FORESTS AND FOREST PEOPLE 16. BUSINESS AS USUAL? THE INDONESIAN ARMED FORCES AND LOCAL POLITICS IN THE POST-SOEHARTO ERA 17. DECENTRALISATION AND THE INDONESIAN BUREAUCRACY: MAJOR CHANGES, MINOR IMPACT? REFERENCES INDEX

From China to Facebookistan, the Internet has transformed global commerce. A cyber-law expert argues that we must free Internet trade while simultaneously protecting consumers.

On the ancient Silk Road, treasure-laden caravans made their arduous way through deserts and mountain passes, establishing trade between Asia and the civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean. Today’s electronic Silk Roads ferry information across continents, enabling individuals and corporations anywhere to provide or receive services without obtaining a visa. But the legal infrastructure for such trade is yet rudimentary and uncertain. If an event in cyberspace occurs at once everywhere and nowhere, what law applies? How can consumers be protected when engaging with companies across the world?

In this accessible book, cyber-law expert Anupam Chander provides the first thorough discussion of the law that relates to global Internet commerce. Addressing up-to-the-minute examples, such as Google’s struggles with China, the Pirate Bay’s skirmishes with Hollywood, and the outsourcing of services to India, the author insightfully analyzes the difficulties of regulating Internet trade. Chander then lays out a framework for future policies, showing how countries can dismantle barriers while still protecting consumer interests.