From Rebellion to Riots is a critical analysis of the roots of contemporary violence in one of Indonesia’s most ethnically heterogeneous provinces, West Kalimantan. Citing evidence from his research, internal military documents and ethnographic accounts, Jamie S. Davidson refutes popular explanation for these flare-ups. The recurrent riots have less to do with the clash of cultures, the ills of development, or indigenous marginalization than with the ongoing politicization of ethnic and indigenous identity in this vast region. Davidson demonstrates that the endemic violence is not the inevitable outcome of ethnic diversity and reveals that the initial impetus for collective bloodshed is not necessarily the same as the forces that sustain it. The conclusion the book draws will be of great interest to students of Southeast Asia and scholars of collective violence and indigenous politics.
“Jamie Davidson’s careful reseach should finally lay to rest the notion that the violent challenges to Indonesia’s democratic transition can be explained by conventional national-level political studies. Thoroughly grounded in both the burgeoning theoretical literature on ethnic violence and the turbulent history of western Borneo, this nuanced study shows the need to disaggregate such vast entities as Indonesia to understand the ‘tipping points’ towards violence.” – Anthony Reid, National University of Singapore.
