The State in a Capitalist Society: Protests and State Reactions in Vietnam and Indonesia (original) (raw)
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Humaniora Vol 32, No. 3, October, 2020
Faced with global and systemic crises, neoliberal oriented governments are taking on more authoritarian forms of governance. By using the power of the media, justice, the police and a set of government technologies, this authoritarian style manifests itself in alternating phases of low-key brutality and crises of ostentatious repression designed to frighten and demoralize opposition social movements. Confronted with these modes of government, the social movements adopt different tactics of mobilization, ranging from direct confrontation to forms of compromise and civil disobedience. With the climate crisis as well as the globalization of social struggles, these movements adopt new political strategies, which question the dichotomy between violence and non-violence. Using a historical and anthropological approach, this paper studies two cases in contemporary Indonesia and France, two countries whose governments claim proximity with liberal civil society's aspiration and a renewal of political action while enacting at the same time strong repression of opposition forces. The comparison shows the persistence and even strengthening of class and oligarchy networks in the implementation of authoritarian-style neoliberal policies. In front of these contradictions the groups under study, Anarcho-Syndicalism and Bizi!, show several intersections in their claims and modes of action. Their strategies are inflected by the national socio-political and cultural backgrounds, but they struggle for the defense of universal rights for the humans' basic needs, through localized agendas and actions.
From Riots to Revolution: Investigating Democratization Prospect in Indonesia and Malaysia
This paper aims to compare popular revolutions and riot movements in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as their impact on democracy in each of these countries. Whilere volutions in these countries have been the subject of the research in the social and political sciences, no study has measured how the intensity of resistance affects the prospects for democracy. With all other factors being constant, this article argues that social movements and resistance efforts have their own social impacts. A variety of popular resistance movements occurred in Malaysia, which was colonized by Great Britain, and in Indonesia, which was colonized by the Dutch.These states created different models of control that influenced society directly and indirectly. As what was seen, a lot of radical movements in the Indonesian society existed during the colonial and post-revolution eras, continuing to the current day. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, as examined by Scott, everyday forms of resistance have tended to act individually and symbolically. In addition, this article will discuss why certain countries experience democratization quickly while others do not, and why certain countries experience better economic development rather than political development and vice versa. For example, Indonesia is considered politically developed but economically, not as developed. Meanwhile, Malaysia, a post-British colony, is argued to experience the opposite; it has developed its economy rapidly but, at the same time, political freedom and democracies are less developed. Freedom of the press, human rights enforcement,a multi-party system, and group opposition are indicators of democracy that are easy to find in Indonesia but not in Malaysia.
When protests become a threat to authoritarian rule: the case of environmental protests in Viet Nam
Third World Quarterly, 2023
This paper argues that the decision of an authoritarian regime to use repression depends both on the repressing agent and the costs as well as the threat perception. This is illustrated in the comparison between two environmental protests in Viet Nam. In 2015, the Vietnamese press reported that police had used tear gas against protesters opposing massive pollution by the Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plant but later treated the violent protesters with leniency. In contrast, the 2016 protest against the Formosa Ha-Tinh Steel Corporation was widely censored in the press and numerous peaceful protesters were arrested and harshly punished. The Vinh Tan case was not perceived as a threat and the costs of repression were judged to be high, while in the case of Formosa, the initial denials of responsibility raised the costs for the regime and the movement that emerged eventually was perceived to be a threat to the regime.
From Riots to Revolution- Seeing Democratization in Indonesia and Malaysia-David Efendi.pdf
This paper aims to compare popular revolutions and riot movements in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as their impact on democracy in each of these countries. While revolutions in these countries have been the subject of the research in the social and political sciences, no study has measured how the intensity of resistance a ects the prospects for democracy. With all other factors being constant, this article argues that social movements and resistance e orts have their own social impacts. A variety of popular resistance movements occurred in Malaysia, which was colonized by Great Britain, and in Indonesia, which was colonized by the Dutch. These states created di erent models of control that in uenced society directly and indirectly. As what was seen, a lot of radical movements in the Indonesian society existed during the colonial and post-revolution eras, continuing to the current day. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, as examined by Scott, everyday forms of resistance have tended to act individually and symbolically. In addition, this article will discuss why certain countries experience democratization quickly while others do not, and why certain countries experience better economic development rather than political development and vice versa. For example, Indonesia is considered politically developed but economically, not as developed. Meanwhile, Malaysia, a post-British colony, is argued to experience the opposite; it has developed its economy rapidly but, at the same time, political freedom and democracy are less developed. Freedom of the press, human rights enforcement,a multi-party system, and group opposition are indicators of democracy that are easy to nd in Indonesia but not in Malaysia.
The Determinants of Anti-Government Protests in Asia
Journal of East Asian Studies
What determines cross-national variations in the extent of anti-government protests in Asia? Anti-government protests have surged across Asia in recent years, with many contributing to consequential political change. However, systematic cross-national comparison of the determinants of protests in Asia is still largely missing. This article fills this important gap by quantitatively examining the explanatory power of the three main theories of contentious politics—grievance, resource mobilization, and political process theories—in the Asian context with new data on anti-government protests in all 25 Asian states from 1990 to 2016. The analysis finds that urbanization, information and communication technology, and regional demonstration effects are the strong catalysts of anti-government protests in Asia, while repressive state capacity particularly dampens protests. The findings offer important insights into the dynamics of the anti-government protests that have become increasingly s...
All about the current protest in Vietnam (2018)
About the current protest in Vietnam. I support and I do not support! This article is analyzed from the perspective of Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg. The "99 years" rally is taking place all across Vietnam. It is a protest in the immediate sense against the lack of consultation in the legislative proposal to rezone land and provide open leases for companies that relocate to new Special Economic Zones. There have been three short strike actions and larger protests, sometimes violent, in several cities. As part of the context we must acknowledge the protests and strikes entail a rise in nationalism, which perhaps is provoked by opportunists who would challenge the authoritarian state. This raises issues of positive and negative importance for the country. After considering the situation, visiting the strikes, and reviewing a series of articles, I identify and question the single and most serious aspect of the problem: Why did the state move forward plans to lease land through the 99-year special zone without consulting the people?
1. A New Era of Civil Society and State in East Asian Democracies
2020
Protest and Social Movements Recent years have seen an explosion of protest movements around the world, and academic theories are racing to catch up with them. This series aims to further our understanding of the origins, dealings, decisions, and outcomes of social movements by fostering dialogue among many traditions of thought, across European nations and across continents. All theoretical perspectives are welcome. Books in the series typically combine theory with empirical research, dealing with various types of mobilization, from neighborhood groups to revolutions. We especially welcome work that synthesizes or compares different approaches to social movements, such as cultural and structural traditions, micro-and macro-social, economic and ideal, or qualitative and quantitative. Books in the series will be published in English. One goal is to encourage nonnative speakers to introduce their work to Anglophone audiences. Another is to maximize accessibility: all books will be available in open access within a year after printed publication.
The State, Class Struggle, and Capitalist Development in Indonesia and South Korea: A Marxist View
Politik Indonesia: Indonesian Political Science Review, 2018
This paper aims to understand why similar efforts of state intervention can generate different economic outcomes. It argues that the different economic outcomes of state intervention can be traced back to the different processes of class struggle. Mobilizing Marxist view, it suggests that the state role in the economy should be understood as inseparable from capitalist development. That is, economic development is the terrain for class struggle between capital and labor. Although the contradictory relation between capital and labor is universal and global in capitalism, the form of contradiction will always be different across societies. That is the case because the form of class struggle depends on the specific development of the configuration of class power that has developed historically in each country alongside with its international process due to the expansive nature of capitalism itself.
A New Era of Civil Society and State in East Asian Democracies
Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia, 2020
Protest and Social Movements Recent years have seen an explosion of protest movements around the world, and academic theories are racing to catch up with them. This series aims to further our understanding of the origins, dealings, decisions, and outcomes of social movements by fostering dialogue among many traditions of thought, across European nations and across continents. All theoretical perspectives are welcome. Books in the series typically combine theory with empirical research, dealing with various types of mobilization, from neighborhood groups to revolutions. We especially welcome work that synthesizes or compares different approaches to social movements, such as cultural and structural traditions, micro-and macro-social, economic and ideal, or qualitative and quantitative. Books in the series will be published in English. One goal is to encourage nonnative speakers to introduce their work to Anglophone audiences. Another is to maximize accessibility: all books will be available in open access within a year after printed publication.