Modern Indonesia : A History Since 1945 (Postwar World) [Hardcover]

R. Cribb (Author), C. Brown (Author), Colin Brown (Author), Robert Cribb (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582057124 | ISBN-13: 978-0582057128 | Publication Date: May 11, 1995 | Edition: 1

This is an account of the history of Indonesia - the turbulent years under Sukarno followed by transformation and stability, but international withdrawal under Suharto. Indonesia is one of the most important parts of East Asia, and seems poised to assume a global role in the modern world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Indeed one of the delights in its reading is measuring the skill, both stylistic and substantive, of its authors in compressing complexity and exposing and exploring significance in so brief a compass. It is, quite simply, the best short history of modern Indonesia I have read." "Rima" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 1 edition (May 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582057124
• ISBN-13: 978-0582057128
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,161,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars ACADEMIC BOOK REVIEW, September 29, 2007

By 

patrick (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Modern Indonesia : A History Since 1945 (Postwar World) (Hardcover)

Robert Cribb and Colin Brown, Modern Indonesia: A History Since 1945, London and NY: Longmans, 1995. 192pp. Rrp: AU$33.95.
Seno Gumira Ajidarma, Eyewitness: Protest Stories from Indonesia, Sydney: ETT Imprint, 1995. 139pp. Rrp: AU$14.95.

Reviewed by RON WITTON

Psychology tells us we can learn about the world either through the left side of the brain, which involves logic and reasoning, or through the right side by using creativity and imagination. The two books under review are examples of both approaches to an understanding of Indonesia now that 50 years have passed since independence.

Dynamic but authoritarian

Using logic, reasoning and a comprehensive knowledge of Indonesian history, Cribb and Brown provide an excellent overview of how Indonesia has become the dynamic but authoritarian society it is today. By focusing on structural themes and societal forces, rather than dates and personalities, they have managed to encapsulate Indonesia's often turbulent past into a coherent analysis. This analysis serves as a useful guide to the present and leads us into an understanding of the future Indonesia now faces.

For anyone who feels a lack of understanding of Indonesia's pre-revolutionary past, the book's first chapters provide a clear outline summary of the historical background to modern post-war Indonesia. Through a discussion of the collapse of Dutch colonialism, the Japanese occupation and the revolution, the major themes of Indonesia's more recent history are developed. Of particular use is their summary of the events of 1965 that so sharply divide Indonesia's post-independence history into the strikingly different Sukarno and Suharto periods.

Many Australians visit Indonesia and in museums and elsewhere, like ordinary Indonesians, they are indoctrinated with the 'official' version of the 30 September 1965 'coup' which sees those events as an attempted 'communist' overthrow of the state. However, Cribb and Brown very usefully summarise the evidence that points towards a much more complicated scenario in which elements of the army (and western intelligence) are intimately involved.

Cribb and Brown then analyse the twin elements of economic development and political repression that have guided the policies of the Suharto regime over these past thirty years. The events surrounding Indonesia's invasion of East Timor are outlined in detail, as are many other events that most Indonesians are restricted from learning about. Indeed, the author's discussion of such matters as the gross wealth accumulated by members of the president's family means that this book, like many other foreign analyses of contemporary Indonesian society, will not be translated into Indonesian and will not be allowed to be distributed within Indonesia.

The book concludes with a fascinating chapter 'Social Change and Future Prospects', which looks at the increasingly dysfunctional nature of the governmental system Suharto has called 'Pancasila Democracy'. It also examines changes in rural society, the growing middle class, changes in military doctrine, and the rise of Islam. The final section examines the role ethnicity plays in regional politics, and particularly focuses on Indonesia's trouble spots of Aceh, Irian Jaya and, of course, East Timor. I was surprised that when they examined (p.162) the exploitation by Jakarta of the natural resources in these three regions, which is an element in the disaffection felt by the people there, East Timor's oil resources are not mentioned. Australia's connivance in exploiting these resources is a continuing stain on our reputation as an international law- abiding nation.