Decentralization of Authoritarianism: Democratization and Ethnic Cleansing on
Indonesia’s Periphery
Jamie S. Davidson
I. Introduction
Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has embarked on a remarkable
democratization, precipitated by the resignation of the country’s long-time authoritarian
ruler, Suharto, in May 1998. Some have even concluded that Indonesia has reached a
democratic consolidation phase (Malley 2003). The argument has merit. In the early post-
Suharto state, political party formation has been liberalized and in 1999, the country’s
freest and most competitive elections since 1955 were held in which forty-eight parties
participated. Another round is scheduled for 2004. The transfer of powers between
presidents also has been conducted relatively smoothly. To be sure, in mid-May 1998 riots
buffeted Jakarta (and some other provincial cities like Solo and Medan), anticipating
Suharto’s resignation, wherein which he handed authority over to his hand picked
successor, the then Vice President, B.J. Habibie. Some 2-3000 of Jakarta’s urban poor
died, trapped inside burning buildings and stores, while the systematic rape of dozens of
Indonesian women of Chinese descent points to likely military involvement. When
compared to Indonesia’s prior transfer of power in 1965-66, however, wherein which
Suharto’s New Order army facilitated the massacre of some half million Indonesians--
communist and those suspected thereof--the events of May 1998 paled in comparison and
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