Peacemaking analysis & research : Peacemaking research - Focus on Indonesia

Why research conflict management in Indonesia?

Indonesia has an established history of internal conflict, some of which have been resolved while others are still ongoing. However, there has been little analysis of the way in which violent conflicts such as in Aceh, Maluku, or Central Sulawesi were managed, or how the conflict in Papua can and is being resolved. Through this project, the HD Centre aimed to gain a better understanding of conflict management approaches in Indonesia, identify good practice in conflict resolution in the country and improve conflict management capacities at both state and local levels.

What activities did the HD Centre undertake? 

In partnership with the Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan (LIPI - Indonesian Institute of Sciences), the Institut Titian Perdamaian (ITP - Peace Building Institute) and later Current Asia, the HD Centre carried out a literature review of leading reports and studies on conflict management issues in Indonesia to provide those interested in conflict prevention and management with an overview of the diverse range of information available.

The organisations also conducted research into conflict prevention and management approaches to identify where they may be strengthened and what might be considered good practice in conflict resolution.

Maluku
On 14 October 2009, the HD Centre held a one-day workshop in Ambon, Indonesia, on ‘Conflict Management Strategies in Maluku: Learning from the Maluku Experience', as part of its ongoing research on the approaches to conflict prevention and management in Indonesia. The workshop was organised with the ITP with support from the Institut Tifa Damai Maluku and the Canadian Embassy in Indonesia. The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of the Maluku province delivered the opening address.

Participants included representatives from local government agencies, NGOs, academics, religious and traditional leaders, to discuss conflict management strategies and progress towards reconciliation and reconstruction since the outbreak of the conflict in 1999 and provide insights into the ongoing conflict management efforts. The lack of coordination between these efforts and resulting ineffective implementation were discussed, and outstanding challenges were identified, including the status of internally displaced people (IDPs), persistent religious segregation, and high youth unemployment. 

Central Sulawesi
On 8 December 2009, the HD Centre and the ITP held a second workshop, this time in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on ‘Conflict Management Strategies in Indonesia: Learning from the Poso Experience', supported by the Government of Canada. Poso has experienced several outbreaks of violence since 1998. Local government officials and non-governmental actors exchanged information on conflict management strategies over the past decade. The workshop also exposed approaches and policies to constructive criticism; highlighted key problems in current conflict management strategies; and generated useful recommendations for both government agencies and NGOs. The need was expressed for a thorough independent appraisal of conflict management efforts so far in order to identify critical issues that could spark a resurgence of violence.  The last workshop in the series was held in West Kalimantan in February 2010. A summary report is forthcoming.

Papua

LIPI carried out interviews and seminars in Papua and Jakarta with civil society representatives, religious and government officials. Seven focus group discussions took place in 2009 on a variety of themes including:

• The revival of relations between the Government and Papuans: a seminar in Jakarta was held to identify the views of Government officials regarding critical issues in Papua. It was agreed that follow-up workshops would help to map Government actors and increase coordination among them to address challenges in Papua more efficiently;
• Dialogue in Papua: a workshop took place in Papua (Jayapura) to address obstacles to the organisation of a dialogue initiative between Papuans and the Indonesian Government ;
• Civil society involvement: a meeting was held in Jakarta with Papuan civil society organisations to gauge their perspectives on dialogue;
• Situation in Papua and options for dialogue: a focus group discussion was held with Papuans living in Jakarta to discuss options for dialogue. A draft framework for dialogue was outlined;
•  The Special Autonomy Law: a seminar took place in Papua (Manokwari) with participants from various backgrounds to discuss the Special Autonomy Law (Law No 21/2001), perceived by participants as a failure. Participants stressed the importance of appropriate trust-building instruments and all-inclusive consultations to improve special autonomy through dialogue;
• Solutions to the conflict: the last two events were organised with Government officials in Jakarta, where they discussed potential solutions to the conflict in Papua, the complex challenge of demilitarization, and the sharing of natural resource wealth.

Overall Report

The overall report, Conflict Management in Indonesia - An Analysis of the Conflicts in Maluku, Papua and Poso was released in June 2011. It is available in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Donors

The HD Centre would like to thank the MacArthur Foundation, (Asia Security Initiative), the Canadian International Development Research Centre, and the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta for their financial support to this project.