[Publication] Irasec - L'Asie du Sud-Est 2011.

Nouvelle publication de l’Irasec

L’ASIE DU SUD-EST 2011
Les événements majeurs de l’année
sous la direction de
Arnaud Leveau et Benoît de Tréglodé

L’Asie du Sud-Est a plutôt bien résisté à la crise économique et financière internationale. La croissance est répartie à un rythme élevé. Des signes de crise à d’autres niveaux font néanmoins leur apparition ou exacerbent d’anciennes tensions. Les problèmes de gouvernance, de gestion des ressources naturelles, la faiblesse des systèmes éducatifs et des marchés intérieurs, l’absence de réformes et l’instabilité politique de certains pays pourraient compromettre à terme le développement de la région. L’Asie du Sud-Est hésite encore sur la voie à prendre, au risque de faire jouer les réflexes nationalistes et les tentatives de repli sur soi.

Établissant une rétrospective des principaux événements de l’année 2010, ce livre aide à mieux comprendre les grands enjeux de l’année 2010 dans une région de près de 600 millions d’habitants qui, plus que jamais, joue un rôle d’interface entre les grands pôles asiatiques. Grâce au travail de terrain tout au long de l’année d’une vingtaine de chercheurs et d’experts européens et asiatiques, Asie du Sud-Est 2011 offre un décryptage contemporain d’une actualité asiatique complexe, dense et dynamique.

L’ouvrage propose également de nombreux outils pratiques sur l’Asie du Sud-Est : une chronologie détaillée de l’année, les adresses des différents centres de recherche francophones et internationaux, une liste des formations et des centres de documentation relatifs à l’Asie du Sud-est, une bibliographie des principaux ouvrages publiés au cours de l’année, ainsi qu’un référencement des meilleurs sites Internet institutionnels et communautaires sur la région.

L’Asie du Sud-Est 2011 : Les événements majeurs de l’année
Arnaud Leveau et Benoît de Tréglodé
Les Indes savantes, Paris, 2011, 409 pages

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Édition asiatique disponible chez Carnets d’Asie,
Librairie Francophone du Cambodge et de Thaïlande.
ISBN : 978-616-90282-9-1
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Disponible le 10 février en France
ainsi que sur fnac.fr et amazon.com
ISBN : 978-2-84654-272-2

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IRASEC c/o French Embassy | 29, Sathorn Tai Road, Bangkok 10120 Thaïlande | Tel: (66) 026 27 21 87 | www.irasec.com
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[International Crisi Group] Indonesia: “Christianisation” and Intolerance.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW BRIEFING

Untuk membaca Media Release ini di bahasa Indonesia, silakan klik di sini .

Jakarta/Brussels, 24 November 2010 : The Indonesian government needs a strategy to address growing religious intolerance, particularly in areas where hardline Islamists and Christian evangelicals are competing for the same ground.
Indonesia: “Christianisation” and Intolerance,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the impact of clashing fundamentalisms, using a series of incidents in Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta, as a case study. Islamists fear “Christianisation” - a term that generally refers both to Christian efforts to convert Muslims and the alleged growing influence of Christianity in Muslim-majority Indonesia - and use it as a justification for mass mobilisation and vigilante attacks. Aggressive proselytising by Protestant evangelical groups in Muslim strongholds has exacerbated the problem.
“Without a clear strategy, mob rule prevails”, says Sidney Jones, Crisis Group Senior Adviser. “All too frequently officials capitulate to the group that makes the most noise, and the victors are then emboldened to raise the stakes for the next confrontation”.
The briefing looks at the growth of Protestant evangelicalism in West Java and the Islamist backlash. It examines how activities of one organisation in Bekasi, accused by Islamists of luring the Muslim poor into conversion, fuelled the rise of an “anti-apostasy” coalition that since 2008 has tried to force its will on the local government with occasional success. It has been particularly active in trying to prevent the construction of churches.
A violent clash in Bekasi in September ignited a debate over whether in the interests of freedom of religion, a national regulation requiring community support for the construction of houses of worship should be abolished. While many Muslims, Islamist and mainstream alike, back the decree, so do many Balinese Hindus, Protestant Papuans and other groups worried about Muslim migration to traditionally non-Muslim areas.
“Officials and legislators talk of the need for ‘religious harmony’, but there is a sense that this can be legislated or even imposed”, says Jim Della-Giacoma, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director. “Instead it will require some of the wisest heads in Indonesia to understand the sources of tension and come up with policies that can change attitudes and decrease confrontation”.
“Christianisation” also has the potential to become a driver of violent extremism. In 2008, members of a non-violent anti-apostasy group in Palembang, South Sumatra, were radicalised after a fugitive terrorist persuaded them to try to kill pastors aiming to convert Muslims rather than just railing against them. Several men currently on trial for participating in a terrorist training camp broken up in February 2010 have said that one factor that led them to join was concern about “Christianisation” in Aceh.
“The potential of the ‘Christianisation’ issue to bring non-violent and violent Islamists together is just one more reason why the problem of growing intolerance should not be allowed to fester”, says Della-Giacoma.

*Read the full Crisis Group briefing on website: www.crisisgroup.org  

[International Crisis Group ] Illicit Arms in Indonesia.

Jakarta/Brussels, 6 September 2010: The Indonesian government could reduce the circulation of illegal firearms by improving procedures for guarding and monitoring police and military armouries, conducting regular audits of gun importers and enforcing controls over the “airsoft” industry.

Illicit arms in Indonesia,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines four sources of illegal guns in Indonesia: theft or illegal purchase from the security forces, leftover stockpiles in conflict areas, manufacture by local gunsmiths and smuggling. The issue has come to public attention after a rash of high-profile robberies and the discovery in February that weapons used in a terrorist training camp came from old police stocks.

“The problem should be manageable because Indonesia has one of the lowest rates of civilian gun ownership in the world”, says Sidney Jones, Crisis Group’s Senior Adviser. “The problem is that corruption undermines what on paper is a tight system of regulation”.

There are several major gaps in the system of gun control now in place. While civilians were not supposed to own weapons for self-defence after 2005, enforcement of the new policy was decidedly lax and online sales of firearms continue. Procedures for storage of guns by military and police seem stringent but armouries in many areas are neither as well-guarded or inventoried as they should be, as evidenced by the trial that began last week of two police officers suspected of selling 28 guns to jihadis from a warehouse for outdated weapons. A homemade gun industry continues to produce illegal pistols that fire real bullets. While customs inspections have improved in recent years, smuggling of small quantities of weapons from abroad remains a problem, with some contractors operating in the gray area between legal imports and illegal sales.

[...More : Overview | Full PDF Report | Media release ]

[International Crisis Group ] Managing Land Conflict in Timor-Leste.

This media release is also available in Tetum, Portuguese and Indonesian.

Dili/Brussels, 9 September 2010: Measures to resolve land disputes in Timor-Leste must go beyond a draft law on land titling if they are to comprehensively reduce the risks posed, otherwise the law could bring more problems than solutions.

Managing Land Conflict in Timor-Leste,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the country’s current tangle of land ownership claims, and recommends that the government and its partners act now to supplement titling with clear public information, clarify protections for those who will be evicted or resettled, and strengthen support to local mediation.

The need to balance land rights inherited from previous Portuguese and Indonesian colonial administrations with the reality of customary law, as well as the implications of a history of population displacements, have delayed the creation of a land administration system. Confusion over the present and future basis of property claims is widespread.

“Establishing legally enforceable property rights will inevitably create winners and losers,” says Cillian Nolan, Crisis Group South East Asia Analyst. “Unless the implications of this law are clearly understood, and protections developed for those who will be negatively affected, it risks being ignored or, even worse, becoming unenforceable”.

[ To read more click here (full pdf report)]

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*Read the full Crisis Group briefing on our website: http://www.crisisgroup.org
To contact Crisis Group media please click here

 

The International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation covering some 60 crisis-affected countries and territories across four continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.

[Crise] Indonesia: The Deepening Impasse in Papua.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW BRIEFING
Indonesia: The Deepening Impasse in Papua

Jakarta/Brussels, 3 August 2010 : The Indonesian government needs urgently to address discontent in Papua, its easternmost region, and recognise that the root of the problem is political, not economic.
Indonesia: The Deepening Impasse in Papua,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the political fallout from Jakarta’s rejection of a local initiative to require all candidates in district-level elections to be indigenous Papuans. The debate that followed brought to the fore Papuan concerns about being increasingly marginalised by steady in-migration from other parts of Indonesia and unhappiness with implementation of a 2001 autonomy package.
“The gulf in perceptions between Jakarta and Papua is huge”, says Sidney Jones, Crisis Group’s Senior Adviser. “Jakarta sees autonomy largely in terms of giving Papua more money, while Papuans want more authority to make political decisions without constantly being trumped by national laws. The only way to bridge the gap is to talk.”
The current impasse began with the November 2009 decision on district candidates by the Papuan People’s Council (Majelis Rakyat Papua, MRP), a body established under the autonomy law and charged with protecting Papuan values and culture. Jakarta rejected it on several grounds, including that it was discriminatory and in violation of a national law on local government. Officials also argued that the council had no authority to issue decisions and that it was overstepping its mandate by venturing into political affairs.
Anger over the rejection led to a Papua-wide consultation hosted by the MRP in June which produced eleven recommendations, including that autonomy be “handed back” to Jakarta, an internationally-mediated dialogue held, and a referendum on Papua’s political status conducted.
The uproar finally got Jakarta’s attention, and in late July, for the first time, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono directly addressed the issue – but by calling for an audit of special autonomy funds.
“To move forward, the president needs to explore directly with credible Papuan leaders how political autonomy can be expanded, affirmative action policies strengthened, and fears about migration addressed”, says Jim Della-Giacoma, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director. “Unless these issues are tackled head on, increased radicalisation in Papua is likely.”

*Read the full Crisis Group report on the website: http://www.crisisgroup.org

[Rapport] Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW REPORT
Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide

Bangkok/Brussels, 5 July 2010 : The Thai government should immediately lift the state of emergency to create conditions for national reconciliation that would allow the building of a new political consensus and the holding of peaceful elections if the country is to return to stability.

Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, says the protracted tussle between the royalist establishment and those allied with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has left the country deeply polarised. In April and May it sparked the most violent political confrontations in decades, killing at least 90 people, injuring nearly 2,000 and inflicting deep wounds on the national psyche. Shortly before authorising a violent crackdown on anti-government protestors by the army, the establishment-backed government of Abhisit Vejjajiva unilaterally offered to opposition groups a “roadmap” to national reconciliation. It now persists with this plan despite having created an atmosphere of repression where basic rights of the pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” movement are denied by emergency laws.

[ ... Read the full article here ]

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*Read the full Crisis Group report on our website: www.crisisgroup.org
Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1602
To contact Crisis Group media please click here

Indonesia: The Dark Side of Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT)

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW BRIEFING
Indonesia: The Dark Side of Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT)

Brussels/Jakarta, 6 July 2010 : Divisions and ideological debates generated by Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), an organisation founded by Indonesia’s best-known radical cleric, Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, show the weakness of Indonesia’s jihadi movement.
Indonesia: The Dark Side of Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT),* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the many facets of JAT, an ostensibly above-ground organisation whose inner circle has had and continues to have ties to fugitive extremists. It has been in the spotlight since May when three of its officials were accused of helping finance a terrorist training camp in Aceh.
“JAT has a public face, advocating full implementation of Islamic law, condemning democracy as illegitimate and preaching jihad”, says Sidney Jones, Crisis Group’s Senior Adviser. “That face gives ‘plausible deniability’ to the involvement of senior JAT officials in more covert activities”. She notes that Lutfi Haedaroh alias Ubeid, arrested while fleeing the Aceh camp, was on JAT’s executive council.
JAT was founded in 2008 as a vehicle for Abu Bakar Ba’asyir’s absolute leadership. In fact Ba’asyir’s insistence on full decision-making authority within JAT makes it unlikely that involvement of senior officials in clandestine activities could have taken place without his approval. The briefing examines JAT’s structure and ideology and analyses the disputes that have erupted between JAT and other radical organisations, including Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI), exemplifying not only the fractures in the jihadi movement but also Ba’asyir’s own declining influence.
There is no indication that violent extremism is gaining ground in Indonesia, even though the constant shifting and realignment of groups will undoubtedly produce more terrorist plots in the future. “We are seeing the same old faces finding new packages for old goods”, says Jim Della-Giacoma, South East Asia Project Director. “Recruitment continues, but there’s more community pushback”. Ba’asyir was refused permission by the local Islamic council to speak in Banten province last month.
The truth is that the jihadi project in Indonesia has failed. The far bigger challenge for the country is to manage the aspirations of those who joined JAT for its public, non-violent message: that democracy is antithetical to Islam; that only an Islamic state can uphold the faith; and that Islamic law must be the source of all justice.

To support our work in Asia and around the world, please click here.
*Read the full Crisis Group report on our website : http://www.crisisgroup.org
Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1602
To contact Crisis Group media please click here