NEITHER ORWELLIAN NOR HUXLEYAN: THE AUTHORITARIAN STATE IN INDONESIA

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 51 - 58, 01.03.2017

Ivonne Krıstıanı

Abstract

Depictions of an authoritarian state most of the time fall into one of the two categories. The first is Orwellian: whereby a central state maintains control through fear, repression, and constant surveillance of its subjects; the other is a Huxleyan state, in which pleasure, happiness, and distraction serve as a better mechanism of control. As a consequence, a dichotomous version of an authoritarian state is presented: either the subjects are forced to comply using state apparatus or their resistance is defused and made unthinkable by constant distractions. Studying the case of Indonesia, neither of these versions could explain the complexity of the mechanisms used during its authoritarian period. Analyzing Suharto’s New Order in Indonesia , this paper argues that recourse to illegitimate violence and repression would not be sufficient to maintain the regime. On the other hand, a Huxleyan vision, which alludes that the subject internalizes their domination and is blindly obedient, renders collective resistance as impossible and thus undermines any social movement that could overthrow the regime. Using a Foucauldian approach to discourse and his conception of governmentality, this study delves into a more subtle, anonymous, form of power that maintained Suharto’s New Order for thirty-two years

References

• Anderson, B., 2007. The Idea of Power in Javanese Culture. In: C. Holt, ed., Culture and Politics in Indonesia. Equinox Publishing.
• Anderson, B.R.O. ed., 2000. Violence and the State in Suharto’s Indonesia. 1 edition ed. Ithaca, N.Y: Southeast Asia
• Program Publications. Aspinall, E., 2005. Opposing Suharto: compromise, resistance, and regime change in Indonesia. East-West Center series on contemporary issues in Asia and the Pacific. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press.
• Aspinall, E. and Fealy, G., 2010. Soeharto’s New Order and its Legacy: Essays in honour of Harold Crouch.
• Budiman, A., 1999. Reformasi: Crisis and Change in Indonesia. Clayton, Australia: Monash Asia Institute.
• Bunte, M. and Ufen, A., 2008. Democratization in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Routledge.
• Cremonesi, L., Orazio, I., Lorenzini, D. and Tazzioli, M. eds., 2016. Foucault and the Making of Subjects.
• Crouch, H., 2007. The Army and Politics in Indonesia. Revised edition ed. Jakarta: Equinox Publishing.
• Dean, M.M., 2009. Governmentality: Power and Rule in Modern Society. Second Edition ed. SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Dwipayana, G. and K.H, R., 1988. Soeharto: pikiran, ucapan dan tindakan saya : otobiografi. Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada.
• Foucault, M., 1980. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977. 1st American Ed edition ed. New York: Vintage.
• Foucault, M., 1982. The Subject and Power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), pp.777–795.
• Foucault, M., 2010. The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the College De France, 1978-1979. Reprint ed. New York: Picador USA.
• Foucault, M., Senellart, M., Ewald, F., Fontana, A., Davidson, A.I. and Burchell, G., 2009. Security, Territory
• Population: Lectures at the College De France, 1977-1978. 1st ed. New York: Picador USA.
• Geertz, H., 1961. The Javanese Family: A Study of Kinship and Socialization. Acls History E Book Project.
• Hall, S., 1973. Encoding and decoding in the television discourse. Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham.
• Heryanto, A., 2005. State Terrorism and Political Identity in Indonesia: Fatally Belonging. London ; New York: Routledge.
• Hill, D.T., 2006. The Press in New Order Indonesia. Equinox Publishing.
• Huxley, A., 1932. Brave New World. New Ed ed. London: Vintage Classics.
• Huxley, A., 1949. 1984 v. Brave New World. Available at: [Accessed 5 Nov. 2016].
• Kafka, F., 1925. The Trial. Wisehouse Classics.
• Magnis-Suseno, F., 2013. Etika Jawa.
• Nyman, M., 2006. Democratising Indonesia: The Challenges of Civil Society in the Era of Reformasi. NIAS Press.
• Orwell, G., 1950. 1984. Reissue ed. Place of publication not identified: Signet.
• Postman, N., 2005. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. 20 Anv ed. Penguin Books.
• Robison, R., 2008. Indonesia: The Rise of Capital. Singapore: Equinox Publishing.
• Sarsito, T., 2006. Javanese culture as the source of legitimacy for Soeharto’s government. Asia Europe Journal, 4(3), pp.447–461.
• Vatikiotis, M.R.J., 1998. Indonesian Politics Under Suharto: The Rise and Fall of the New Order. Psychology Press.
• Ward, K., 2010. Soeharto’s Javanese Pancasila. In: E. Aspinall and G. Fealy, eds., Soeharto’s New Order and its
• Legacy: Essays in honour of Harold Crouch. Zakaria, F., 1997. The Rise of Illiberal Democracy. Foreign Affairs, 76(6), p.22.