Books by Christopher Duncan
"Between 1999 and 2000, sectarian fighting fanned across the eastern Indonesian province of North... more "Between 1999 and 2000, sectarian fighting fanned across the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku experienced leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. What began as local conflicts between migrants and indigenous people over administrative boundaries spiraled into a religious war pitting Muslims against Christians and continues to influence communal relationships more than a decade after the fighting stopped. Christopher R. Duncan spent several years conducting fieldwork in North Maluku, and in Violence and Vengeance, he examines how the individuals actually taking part in the fighting understood and experienced the conflict.
Rather than dismiss religion as a facade for the political and economic motivations of the regional elite, Duncan explores how and why participants came to perceive the conflict as one of religious difference. He examines how these perceptions of religious violence altered the conflict, leading to large-scale massacres in houses of worship, forced conversions of entire communities, and other acts of violence that stressed religious identities. Duncan’s analysis extends beyond the period of violent conflict and explores how local understandings of the violence have complicated the return of forced migrants, efforts at conflict resolution and reconciliation."
Papers by Christopher Duncan
Zahlreiche Konflikte, die Indonesien beutelten, vertrieben über 1,3 Millionen Menschen im ganzen ... more Zahlreiche Konflikte, die Indonesien beutelten, vertrieben über 1,3 Millionen Menschen im ganzen Archipel. Ein Faktor, der häufig als Ursache dieser Streitigkeiten angeführt wird, ist Migration, insbesondere das Transmigrationsprogramm der Regierung.
American Anthropologist, 2005
... to strengthen pre-existing power relations and if traditionally marginalized people fail to .... more ... to strengthen pre-existing power relations and if traditionally marginalized people fail to ... In many places continued discrimination against indigenous minorities, based in part on the belief that they are incapable of effective governance, continues to hamper their participation. ...
Forced Migration Review, 2003
When does an IDP stop being an IDP? In Indonesiathe answer was supposed to be: on 31 December2002... more When does an IDP stop being an IDP? In Indonesiathe answer was supposed to be: on 31 December2002. This was the deadline announced in late 2001when the government released its plan describing howit would solve the 'problem' of the more than onemillion IDPs spread across the country.1
The numerous conflicts that swept Indonesia before and after the fall of Suharto in 1998 displace... more The numerous conflicts that swept Indonesia before and after the fall of Suharto in 1998 displaced over 1.3million people throughout the country. These included refugees from the post-election violence in East Timor, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the various internal conflicts, such as North Maluku, Kalimantan and Poso. In October of 2001 the Indonesian government introduced a policy that was aimed at resolving the problem of displaced people throughout the archipelago by the end of 2002. The government’s plan con-tained no details on how this was going to be accomplished other than provid-ing three options for displaced populations: 1) return home; 2) empowerment in their place of refuge or; 3) relocation. After this date the IDPs would be han-dled by the “usual channels, ” essentially losing their status as IDPs. This policy affected the approximately 220,000 people displaced by the violence in North Maluku to varying degrees. Some were forcefully returned to their ...
Antropologi Indonesia, 2014
This paper looks at the deteriorating relations between the population of Sulawesi Utara and the ... more This paper looks at the deteriorating relations between the population of Sulawesi Utara and the approximately 35,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) who fled there from the neighboring province of Maluku Utara. These IDPs first began arriving in large numbers in November of 1999 when communal violence broke out on the islands of Ternate and Tidore in Maluku Utara. They continued arriving until the violence came to a halt in June of 2000. Initially, relations between the two groups were positive. However, the extended presence of 35,000 IDPs created several problems, including a decrease in wages and an increase in housing costs. Negative perceptions of IDPs and jealously over IDP aid have created further misunderstandings. Additionally, IDP experiences with locals have led them to distrust the local population. On a few occasions these tensions have broken out into violence, and some fear this is a foreshadowing of the future should large numbers of IDPs decide to stay in Sulawesi Utara. This paper examines the relationships between these groups, as well as some of the efforts made by international NGOs to address these issues.
One of the longest running conflicts in post-Suharto Indonesia took place in the eastern Indonesi... more One of the longest running conflicts in post-Suharto Indonesia took place in the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku. Centered on the capital of Ambon, the violence began in January 1999 and re-erupted as late as May 2004. Although the Ambon conflict has been examined at length by a variety of people, less attention has been paid to the violence that swept the newly created province of North Maluku from August 1999 through June 2000.1 2 It has usually been considered a conflict tangential to
The Department of Anthropology at Goldsmiths is one of the newest in Britain, having been formall... more The Department of Anthropology at Goldsmiths is one of the newest in Britain, having been formally created in 1985. We are proud of what we have achieved since then, and in particular of the way that people in the Department-students, staff and researchers-have sought to broaden the frontiers of the discipline and to engage critically and creatively with the traditions of anthropology in the contemporary world. We hope that the Goldsmiths Anthropology Research Papers provide a platform to communicate some of the work that makes the Goldsmiths department distinctive. The series includes articles by members of academic staff, research fellows, PhD and other students.
Anthropological Forum, 2014
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2009
Memorializing the dead in post-conflict North Maluku In the aftermath of the 1999-2001 communal v... more Memorializing the dead in post-conflict North Maluku In the aftermath of the 1999-2001 communal violence between Muslim and Christian communities in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku, attention has focused on issues of conflict resolution and reconciliation (CPRU/ UNDP 2004; Ruddy Tindage 2006). Local and regional government officials have been concerned with returning forced migrants to their places of origin and shutting down camps for the displaced (Duncan 2008). They have also worked to re-establish peaceful relationships between antagonists to prevent future violence (Duncan 2009). In some cases, they have been rather successful. 1 It seems that many of the problems created by communal violence can indeed be repaired: forced migrants can return home, churches and mosques can be rebuilt, gardens can be replanted. However, one of the biggest obstacles to reconciliation remains dealing with those who died and the memories of their deaths. The dead cannot be brought back, and for many their absence serves as a palpable reminder of the horrible nature of events that took place and of the societal divisions that caused them. In this article, I document how Galela and Tobelo communities in northern Halmahera have dealt with the dead in post-conflict North Maluku and how efforts to memorialize the dead are, in part, an attempt to solidify a particular narrative of the conflict and its points of contention. In particular, I look at the construction of memorials, such as martyrs cemeteries and graves, to those who perished in the fighting. I also explore how the placement of these memorials in churchyards represents a rather significant change in local burial practices. This change contradicts 1 The United Nations considers the North Moluccan government's handling of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to be a success story (Bakornas PBP 2003:13).
Journal of Environmental Management, 2004
We reconstructed the history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to understand how social and ec... more We reconstructed the history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to understand how social and economic events, and policy changes affected the sanctuary's condition. We surveyed 25 villages surrounding CWS to evaluate past and present ecological conditions, compare the results with historical accounts and identify causal relationships. During the first half of the 20th century, the primary threat was the government's reduction of old growth forest to supply fuel wood for the British-built railway. The railroad opened the area to colonization, but the villagers' impact on timber and wildlife was low. From 1945 to 1988, villagers became the primary force of landscape degradation. The postwar windfall of firearms increased hunting pressure, and populations of large mammal started to decline. With the economic decline of the1970s and 1980s, the community's demand for game and forest products intensified, and the large mammal fauna was reduced from eleven to four species. From 1988-2003, the forests surrounding the sanctuary were fragmented and degraded. The absence of large predators rendered the park safe for livestock, and the combined effects of grazing and removal of forest products seriously degraded habitat within CWS. Major threats to CWS during the past two decades have resulted from land use decisions in which government-planned economic enterprises caused encroachment by villagers. Stabilization and recovery of this sanctuary will require management compatible with human needs, including expanded buffer zones, better core area protection, community forestry projects, and probably relocation of villages within the park.
Recent anthropological literature has examined the ability, or lack thereof, for "foragers" or "h... more Recent anthropological literature has examined the ability, or lack thereof, for "foragers" or "hunter-gatherers" to maintain a cultural identity in the face of massive social change (Eder 1987, Griffin 1996, Povinelli 1993). These forces of social change include missionaries and government development experts who seek to change the way foragers structure their lives, and large-scale environmental degradation that affects their ability to continue foraging for their subsistence. This raises questions about how foraging communities create, or reconstruct, their cultural identities, their sense of who they are in opposition to others, in response to these transformations. As foragers become farmers, can they maintain their identity, or are they subsumed within or overwhelmed by larger farming populations? Are foragers completely at the mercy of larger structural forces, such as government development programs and timber and mining interests, in determining how they construct their lives, or can they maintain a degree of agency in deciding who they are vis-à-vis others? Questions such as these are of increasing importance in Southeast Asia as foraging populations are threatened by government programs that seek to dismantle their way of life, and by other forces beyond their control. My research examines these issues among the Forest Tobelo of Halmahera Tengah in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia. Research problem This report examines the processes of conversion to Christianity and resettlement among former forest-dwelling foragers on the island of Halmahera in Maluku. In particular, it examines how these two shifts in local lifeways have affected the cultural identity of the Forest Tobelo, the Tobelo-speaking forest dwellers of Halmahera's interior who are com-{ PAGE }
Cultural approaches to reconciliation, those based on ‘traditional’ practices for
peacemaking, ha... more Cultural approaches to reconciliation, those based on ‘traditional’ practices for
peacemaking, have attracted the attention of scholars looking at post-conflict regions
in Indonesia. Numerous observers have pointed to the revitalisation of the Tobelo
adat notion of hibualamo in the province of North Maluku as a successful example of
this approach. This paper disputes those conclusions and explores local strategies for
peacebuilding and reactions to these strategies in post-conflict North Halmahera. I
compare grassroots understandings of ‘reconciliation’ with those of the local elite
behind this revitalisation effort. I also debate the concept of reconciliation as it has
been applied to the region. Applying the concept of reconciliation, with its
connotations of a positive peace, to the post-conflict situation in North Maluku is
more of an idealistic view of the potentialities for peace than an actual reflection of
reality. I suggest it is more appropriate to describe the situation as one of coexistence
or negative peace.
This article looks at efforts to revitalize “tradition” (in Indonesian, adat) among the Tobelo pe... more This article looks at efforts to revitalize “tradition” (in Indonesian, adat) among the Tobelo people in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku in theaftermath of the ethnic and religious violence that swept the region in 1999– 2001. It examines how some groups in Tobelo society are attempting to revive previously marginalized adat practices as a way to facilitate reconciliation between Muslim and Christian communities. Those involved in these efforts believe that a revitalization of adat will shift people’s focus of identity from their religion, the focus of the recent conflict, to their ethnicity. They hope this shift in focus will transcend religious differences. The paper explores theseattempts to articulate Tobelo tradition and Tobelo identity in order to prevent future violence. It also discusses the rationales and historical justifications for seeing adat as a mechanism for reconciliation and conflict prevention.
This paper explores how certain Tobelo and Galela communities in the eastern Indonesian province ... more This paper explores how certain Tobelo and Galela communities in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku have dealt with the dead in the aftermath of the ethnic and religious violence that swept the region in 1999-2001. It focuses on the issue of martyrdom and the construction of memorials to those who died during the conflict. I argue that these memorials have a dual purpose. First and foremost they are about mourning and martyrdom. They serve local needs to respect and remember those who were lost in the conflict and to recognize the sacrifices made in the name of religion. This notion of martyrdom directly relates to another aspect of these monuments, attempts by local communities in North Maluku, particularly the Christian communities I focus on in this paper, to solidify their version of events in the public narrative. As the local government encourages people to put the conflict behind them and to forget about the violence, the construction of these memorials maintains the focus on the religious framing of past events. In building these monuments and martyr cemeteries, people are publicly staking a claim on their interpretation of history and literally putting their version in stone. They seek to do so before official accounts (or denials) of what happened become hegemonic and pave over the nature of the violence and suffering that occurred. I also explore how the construction and placement of Christian memorials in churchyards contradicts previous church burial practices.
This article examines how indigenous ethnic minorities in Indonesia are being affected by the imp... more This article examines how indigenous ethnic minorities in Indonesia are being affected by the implementation of decentralization and regional autonomy policies. New legislation transferred responsibility and authority over various issues, including resource extraction and local governance, from the central government to regional authorities at the district level. Members of the growing indigenous rights movement hoped that this decentralization process would allow ethnic minority communities to retain or regain control over natural resources through local-level politics. Furthermore, some ethnic minorities saw the implementation of decentralization as an opportunity to return to local forms of land tenure and resource management that had been disparaged by the national government for most of the twentieth century. However, these new laws also encourage district level governments to generate income through natural resource exploitation, as they will receive a certain percentage of these revenues. Minority communities could be adversely affected as local governments disregard their land rights in efforts to raise income to cover their new expenses, essentially continuing the practices of previous governments. This article examines the new opportunities, as well as the new threats, posed by decentralization to ethnic minorities throughout Indonesia.
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Books by Christopher Duncan
Rather than dismiss religion as a facade for the political and economic motivations of the regional elite, Duncan explores how and why participants came to perceive the conflict as one of religious difference. He examines how these perceptions of religious violence altered the conflict, leading to large-scale massacres in houses of worship, forced conversions of entire communities, and other acts of violence that stressed religious identities. Duncan’s analysis extends beyond the period of violent conflict and explores how local understandings of the violence have complicated the return of forced migrants, efforts at conflict resolution and reconciliation."
Papers by Christopher Duncan
peacemaking, have attracted the attention of scholars looking at post-conflict regions
in Indonesia. Numerous observers have pointed to the revitalisation of the Tobelo
adat notion of hibualamo in the province of North Maluku as a successful example of
this approach. This paper disputes those conclusions and explores local strategies for
peacebuilding and reactions to these strategies in post-conflict North Halmahera. I
compare grassroots understandings of ‘reconciliation’ with those of the local elite
behind this revitalisation effort. I also debate the concept of reconciliation as it has
been applied to the region. Applying the concept of reconciliation, with its
connotations of a positive peace, to the post-conflict situation in North Maluku is
more of an idealistic view of the potentialities for peace than an actual reflection of
reality. I suggest it is more appropriate to describe the situation as one of coexistence
or negative peace.
Rather than dismiss religion as a facade for the political and economic motivations of the regional elite, Duncan explores how and why participants came to perceive the conflict as one of religious difference. He examines how these perceptions of religious violence altered the conflict, leading to large-scale massacres in houses of worship, forced conversions of entire communities, and other acts of violence that stressed religious identities. Duncan’s analysis extends beyond the period of violent conflict and explores how local understandings of the violence have complicated the return of forced migrants, efforts at conflict resolution and reconciliation."
peacemaking, have attracted the attention of scholars looking at post-conflict regions
in Indonesia. Numerous observers have pointed to the revitalisation of the Tobelo
adat notion of hibualamo in the province of North Maluku as a successful example of
this approach. This paper disputes those conclusions and explores local strategies for
peacebuilding and reactions to these strategies in post-conflict North Halmahera. I
compare grassroots understandings of ‘reconciliation’ with those of the local elite
behind this revitalisation effort. I also debate the concept of reconciliation as it has
been applied to the region. Applying the concept of reconciliation, with its
connotations of a positive peace, to the post-conflict situation in North Maluku is
more of an idealistic view of the potentialities for peace than an actual reflection of
reality. I suggest it is more appropriate to describe the situation as one of coexistence
or negative peace.