Disengaging from Territory : Identity, the Politics Of
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University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2007 Disengaging from territory : identity, the politics of contestation and domestic political structures: India & Britain (1929-1935), and Indonesia & East Timor (1975-1999). Lena, Tan University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Tan, Lena,, "Disengaging from territory : identity, the politics of contestation and domestic political structures: India & Britain (1929-1935), and Indonesia & East Timor (1975-1999)." (2007). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 2423. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/2423 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. University of Massachusetts Amherst L I B R R Y Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/disengagingfromtOOtanl This is an authorized facsimile, made from the microfilm master copy of the original dissertation or master thesis published by UMI. The bibliographic information for this thesis is contained in UMI's Dissertation Abstracts database, the only central source for accessing almost every doctoral dissertation accepted in North America since 1861. T T]\/fT Dissertation U1VUL Services From:Pro('vuest COMPANY 300 North Zeeb Road P O Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1346 USA 800 521.0600 734.761 4700 web www il proquest.com Printed in 2008 by digital xerographic process on acid-free paper DISENGAGING FROM TERRITORY: IDENTITY, THE POLITICS OF CONTESTATION AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL STRUCTURES INDIA & BRITAIN (1929-1935), AND INDONESIA & EAST TIMOR ( 1975-1999) A Dissertation Presented by LENA TAN Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY September 2007 Political Science UMI Number: 3289262 Copyright 2007 by Tan, Lena All rights reserved. UMI UMI Microform 3289262 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 © Copyright by Lena Tan 2007 All Rights Reserved DISENGAGING FROM TERRITORY: IDENTITY, THE POLITICS OF CONTESTATION AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL STRUCTURES BRITAIN & INDIA (1929-1935), AND INDONESIA & EAST TIMOR ( 1975-1999) A Dissertation Presented by LENA TAN Approved as to style and content by: Peter M. Haas, Chair Srirupa Roy, Member Agustin Lao-Montes, Member John A. Hird, Chair Department of Political Science DISENGAGING FROM TERRITORY: IDENTITY, THE POLITICS OF CONTESTATION AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL STRUCTURES INDIA & BRITAIN (1929-1935), AND INDONESIA & EAST TIMOR (1975-1999) A Dissertation Presented by LENA TAN Approved as to style and content by: Peter M. Haas, Chair I j a Roy, Member ao-Montes, Member John Pk. Hird, Chair Department of Political Science DEDICATION For my family / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank members of my committee, Peter M. Haas. Srirupa Roy and Agustin Lao-Montes for their advice, comments and guidance through all stages of this project. 1 am extremely grateful to Peter Haas who did not only take this on but critically, gave me the space and the freedom which I needed in order to find my own way in this project. This, together with the example that he set for rigor and openness from my very first graduate class with him, has left an indelible mark. Srirupa Roy's example as a scholar and a teacher, as well as her insightful comments on my work, which were provided, always at just the right time, made a huge difference to my thinking. I thank her for all this as well as for her encouragement, enthusiasm and support. I am also grateful to Patrick Thaddeus Jackson who provided important comments and insights during the initial stages of this project at the first Relational and Interpretive Methods workshop held at the Northeast International Studies Association Conference in 2005. Much of this work also depended on the generosity of librarians, archivists and libraries. 1 would like to thank the British National Archives, the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the LSE, and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies which gave me access to their holdings. Special thanks go to the librarians who work at the Circulation Desk and the Interlibrary Loan Department of the W.E. Du Bois Library of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Besides providing me with access to some non-circulating material, the Circulation Desk and in particular, Rachel Hobbie, went beyond the call of duty to help me when dozens of library books were damaged in a fire just as I embarked on my research. The v incredibly persistent and helpful staff at the Interlibrary Loan Department obtained the many primary documents which I needed. While in graduate school, Eric S. Einhorn was a source of advice and help and I thank him for always being there. I was also extremely fortunate to meet Vinnie Ferraro whose special brand of humanity and generosity of spirit helped me at a difficult juncture. He gave me his time and kindness but most of all. he had faith in me when I had little of it in myself. Emily Hardt. Carlos Suarez Carrasquillo and Guliz Dine read parts of this project, and provided friendship, cheer, laughter and an unending supply of support and sensible advice as we navigated through the program. Over the years. Soon Ee Ngoh. Sor Kuan Goh. Elaine Tan, Linda Lew, Emily Hardt, Lynette Ng. Priya Malhotra. Vivienne Woon. and Akiyo Horii have been steady, loyal and patient friends who have been the source of fun and laughter as well as everything from excellent meals and care packages to possible contacts for research interviews. Soon Ee Ngoh, Sor Kuan Goh, Elaine Tan and Linda Lew have shared much with me and have been friends of extraordinary loyalty and generosity throughout this period in my life. Special, special thanks go to Soon Ee Ngoh who never stopped listening. My family cheered me on at all times and in all possible ways. My parents gave me the freedom to do things in my own way and supported me as best as they could. Throughout the best of times and the worst of times, I w as able to lean on my incomparable siblings. Lay Poh, Kee Cheo, Lay Kee and Mei. Besides being the source of strength for everyone. Lay Kee funded my research trips to London and Jakarta. Throughout this long and difficult process, each one of them shouldered much vi and were also unstintingly and unfailingly patient, understanding, loving, supportive and generous. Together and separately, they gave pep talks, wrote encouraging letters and emails, and ensured that I had everything that 1 needed. I stood on their shoulders every single day and without them, much would have been impossible. This is for them. vii ABSTRACT DISENGAGING FROM TERRITORY: IDENTITY. THE POLITICS OF CONTESTATION AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL STRUCTURES BRITAIN & INDIA (1929-1935). AND INDONESIA & EAST TIMOR (1975-1999) SEPTEMBER 2007 LENA TAN. B.A.. SMITH COLLEGE MSc.. LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Peter M. Haas This dissertation project examines the role of identity, the politics of identity contestation and domestic political structures as part of the mechanisms and processes that may be involved in the decisions that states make regarding disengagement from their colonial and territorial possessions. Specifically, it focuses on the following questions: Why do intransigent states back down on previously entrenched territorial policies? And why. even when states decide to disengage from their territories, are some of these processes peaceful while others are scenes of prolonged, bloody and violent struggles? Focusing on Britain and its reaction to Indian calls for independence from 1929-1935, and Indonesia’s withdrawal from East Timor in 1999. this project argues that the processes and mechanisms involved in identity construction, maintenance and change can play an important role in how states approach the issue of territorial disengagement. At the same time, it also argues that the structure of a state’s domestic political system may also affect the way in which disengagement takes places. viii Based on its empirical findings, this dissertation also argues that identities are constructed at both the domestic as well as the international levels, and against an Other, and through narratives. Further, identities do not acquire ‘substance’ once they have been constructed. Rather they are continually constituted by processes, relations and practices as identities are defined, recognized and validated in an actor’s interaction with and in relationship to others. Finally, identity does not only influence human actions through enabling or constraining actions but also through the need to perform who we are or who we say we want to be. IX 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION 1 . 1 Introduction 1 1 .2 Focusing on the Territorial Power 2 1 .3 Theoretical Approaches to Territorial Disengagement and Decolonization 4 1.4 Identity and International Relations 20 1.5 Social Constructivist Theories of Identity in International Relations 24 1 .5.1 Wendt’s Systemic Constructivism 26 1.5.2 Constructing Identities: Processes and Mechanisms 31 1. 5.2.1 Self/Other 31 1.6 1.5. 2. 2 Symbolic Interactionism 33 1 .5.2.3 Narratives 35 1.5.3 Agency and Structure in Identity Construction 37 1 .5.3. Stages of Identity Contestation 40 1.5.4 Identity, Interests and Action 42 Domestic Political Systems and the Manner in Which State Contraction Takes Place 47 1.7 Methodology 49 1 .8 The Road Ahead: A Brief Chapter Outline 55 THE QUESTION OF INDIA: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE DIEHARDS AND THE REFORMERS IN BRITAIN.