As regional neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia share common historical roots and cultural heritage. Disputes over cultural icons have lamentably been a frequent affair between the two countries. One of these recurring clashes was recently brought to the fore when a third party erroneously represented an Indonesian traditional dance as Malaysian. Based on this episode, this article analyses the multifaceted complexities embedded in disputes involving contested cultural heritage. It underscores the point that quarrels over ostensibly petty issues are often symptomatic of protracted undercurrents of political conflict between states. Drawing from the illustrations of the pendet example, it further demonstrates how failure to address these latent tensions could potentially result in destructive manifestations, even over seemingly trivial spats. By way of conclusion, the article proposes that examining these disputes within the broader context of the history and dynamics of the relationships of the various parties of the dispute becomes necessary and critical in engendering a sustainable resolution of disputes over shared cultural heritage.

"Mine, Yours or Ours?": The Indonesia-Malaysia Disputes over Shared Cultural Heritage

November 2010 sees the first elections in Myanmar/Burma since 1990, to be held as the culmination of the military regime's 'Road Map for Democracy' The conditions under which the elections are being held are far from favourable, although the laws and procedures under which they will be conducted have been in place for seven months and quite widely publicized. Political controls remain repressive, freedom of expression and assembly does not exist, and international access is restricted by government controls as well as sanctions. While the elections represent a turning point for Myanmar/Burma, the lead-up period has not been marked by many notable improvements in the way the country is governed or in the reforming impact of international assistance programmes. Presenters at the Australian National University 2009 Myanmar/Burma Update conference examined these questions and more. Leading experts from the United States, Japan, France, and Australia as well as from Myanmar/Burma have conributed to this collection of papers from the Conference.

Ruling Myanmar: From Cyclone Nargis to National Elections

The employment of asymmetric decentralization to deal with separatist conflicts has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, contentions remain as to whether it is an effective tool to...

Asymmetric decentralization, accommodation and separatist conflict: lessons from Aceh and Papua, Indonesia

Educators around the world increasingly see teacher education as crucial to developing pedagogies of inclusion, particularly as student populations diversify. While neoliberalism greatly contributes to the growing diversity of students for whom teachers need preparation, however, it is also shrinking public resources for serving those same populations while simultaneously constraining the work of teachers and teacher educators.

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Pedagogies of Inclusion in Teacher Education: Global Perspectives

This article aims to show the relationship between the Batik of Yogyakarta and the development of Indonesian National
Identity in the period of reform. The research is developed from the perspectives of political history, art and culture.
From the perspective of political history, Yogyakarta was regarded as an important city in which it was once the capital
city of Indonesia and was the state where the proclamation of independence was made. This city has been designated
as the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Additionally, the city of Yogyakarta is seen as the cradle of Indonesian culture and
the Javanese in particular. One aspect of which significant local culture belongs to this region is known as “batik.”
Yogyakarta’s batik is more than just a valued way of dressing; it’s also a reflection of Indonesian society and national
identity.

A reconstruction of Indonesian National Identity by Yogyakarta’s batik in the reformasi period

This article studies the process of nation-building in Indonesia. Using a historical approach for the analysis of what is portrayed as a nonlinear, long-term process, it discusses relevant developments during the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras, with particular attention to the New Order and most recent periods. The analysis focuses on the complex relations between unity and diversity and highlights the multiplicity of frame-works within which inhabitants of the present Republic of Indonesia have constituted their identities, including national, transnational and subnational ones. Two questions that receive particular attention are the role of religion and the relations between the centre and various parts of the country. The article argues that various factors, including religion and ethnicity, have contributed to nation-building in specific circumstances, but have had contrary effects under other conditions. It also shows that progress and regression in nation-building has partially been the voluntary or involuntary effect of the tactical use governments and other political actors have made of manifold communal differences. It adds that the identity of Indonesian citizens becomes increasingly complex and trans- as well as subnational components increasingly important, but that this does not automatically imply the end of the nation-building process.

Johan Meuleman

Papers

Between Unity and Diversity: The Construction of the Indonesian Nation