ORIENTALISM AND POST-COLONIAL READING OF THE U.S. POLICY TOWARD INDONESIA DURING NIXON ADMINISTRATION

Abstract            Through the examination of documents pertaining to the United States policies toward Indonesia, this paper studies how Washington viewed Indonesia almost three decades after colonialism had been officially over. More specifically, this paper studies U.S. assistance programs provided for Indonesia during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon. By using the perspective of postcolonial studies on international relations, it shows that while on the surface the assistance programs of the Nixon administration appeared to be altruistic and helpful, a deeper look at them shows that the programs were imbued with subliminal Eurocentric liberal international theory of international relations.             It further shows that the administration’s programs were not only self-serving, but were also implemented with an orientalist spirit by the United States as part of the “superior” West over Indonesia that was considered part of the East and therefore was “inferior” and in need of help from the West. In light of Edward Said’s postcolonial studies of West and East relations, the policies clearly reflect orientalist views and practices, even long after colonialism formally ended. Keywords: Orientalism, English School Theory, Neoliberal International Theory, the Nixon administration, Indonesi

The Long Shadow of the Cold War: The Cold War Policies of the United States towards Asia and their Impact on Indonesia

In its Cold War policies toward Asia, the United States aimed at seeking economic recovery and geopolitical stability while controlling the process. Along with securing Southeast Asia as an important market and source of raw materials for itself and its allies, the intent was also to rehabilitate Japan and other Cold War allies. In Indonesia these policies resulted in US support for the massive anti-communist purge that began in Indonesia in 1965. This paper intends to show that in Indonesia, the US these policies were a success, as shown by the ouster of President Sukarno and the massive purging of the alleged members of the Indonesian communist party (PKI), as well as the installation of a new and pro-Western government. These successes, along with the benefits that accrued, left the United States reluctant to press the Indonesian government to deal with issues related to the purge. The refusal of the Indonesian government to deal with the 1965 anti-communist purge, in turn, has made it impossible for the purge’s victims and survivors to seek justice and reconciliation on the matter. As a result, decades after the end of the Cold War, they continue to suffer from its impact

Pengaruh konflik sosial-politik terhadap hasil produksi dan interaksi sosial di Perkebunan Ajinantra (1961-1970)

Kegagalan operasi militer Gerakan 30 September 1965 di Jakarta telah mendorong terjadinya konflik yang diiringi aksi kekerasan massal di sejumlah daerah di Indonesia. Salah satu lingkungan yang terdampak oleh konflik ini adalah perkebunan di Jawa Timur. Tulisan ini mengangkat permasalahan yang berkaitan dengan pengaruh konflik pasca G-30-S di lingkungan Perkebunan Ajinantra, Jawa Timur, dengan fokus pada aspek ekonomi dan sosialnya. Tulisan ini menggunakan metode penelitian sejarah dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Penelitian ini mencapai empat kesimpulan. Pertama, ditemui keterkaitan antara hasil produksi dengan kondisi interaksi sosial masyarakat Perkebunan Ajinantra. Kedua, hasil produksi dapat digunakan untuk menganalisis dinamika konflik yang terjadi dalam masyarakat perkebunan di Jawa Timur pasca G-30-S/1965. Ketiga, konflik dalam masyarakat perkebunan, terutama dalam kasus Perkebunan Ajinantra mengakibatkan penurunan interaksi sosial masyarakat perkebunan dan meningkatnya rasa curiga warga masyarakat terhadap sesama penghuni perkebunan. Keempat, di Jawa Timur terdapat upaya-upaya optimal untuk meminimalisasi dampak konflik sosial, sebagaimana tercermin dalam kasus Perkebunan Ajinantra. Kata kunci: konflik pasca G-30-S/1965, hasil produksi, interaksi sosia