A Study of the Javanese Samin (Sedulur Sikep) Movement to Maintain Their Peasant Identity and Access to Resources
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Re-Claiming Lost Possessions: A Study of the Javanese Samin (Sedulur Sikep) Movement to maintain their Peasant Identity and Access to Resources Primi Suharmadhi Putri Master thesis in Culture, Environment and Sustainability Centre for Development and Environment UNIVERSITY OF OSLO 2017 ©Primi Suharmadhi Putri 2017 Re-Claiming Lost Possessions: A Study of the Javanese Samin (Sedulur Sikep) Movement to maintain their Peasant Identity and Access to Resources http://www.duo.uio.no/ Print: Reprosentralen, University of Oslo II Abstract This study focuses on a Saminist (Sedulur Sikep) community in Java – Indonesia, particularly related to the contemporary anti-cement movement. With their Javanese puritanical traits and non-violent resistance, the Sedulur Sikep community managed to live their lives as a culturally separate community with distinct views on resource management, spirituality, and authority. Currrently, this community’s members are now standing at a crossroad in defending their capital resources and preserving their identities, culture, beliefs, livelihoods, and most importantly, future generations by protecting their land and water resources through anti-cement activism. Research findings show that the strong idealism and spiritual behaviors of Sedulur Sikep play a crucial role in defining their activism within the anti-cement movement. This thesis studies the perspective and activism of Sedulur Sikep through their conciousness, both as a peasant and puritan Javanese community, toward the respective Kendeng Mountains. By perceiving the physical and non-physical elements of the mountains and its surroundings, Sedulur Sikep position themselves to challenge the powerful actors’ interests in the cement agenda. On the other hand, Sedulur Sikep also manages to re-claim their identity as a passive and non-violent Javanese peasant movement, while they also adapt with the anti-cement movement’s needs. Therefore, the active role of Sedulur Sikep’s identities and their passive and non-violent resistance traits are central within this study. This study then analyses Sedulur Sikep’s movement strategies that have shifted into collective and openly declared forms of resistance, as ramification of power and interest relations among involved actors within the cement agenda. Key words: Sedulur Sikep, peasant, Java, cement industry, anti-cement movement III Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the help, support, and the existence of these people. I would first like to thank my thesis supervisor, Prof. Desmond McNeill. The door to Prof. McNeill’s office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had question about my research or writing process. He consistently allowed this research to be my own work, but steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it, I am truly grateful to be supervised by you. I would also like to acknowledge the Quota Scheme Program for making my study in Oslo and SUM feasible. I thank all my informants, the people in the anti-cement JMPPK for letting me became part of their activities and sharing knowledge about Kendeng Mountains. I express my sincere gratitude to Sedulur Sikep in Sukolilo, especially Gunarti and her family, for always welcoming me like they have known me from long before. I certainly indebted to my host, Mbak Amal and her family, for letting me to stay at her home, and treated me like part of the family. My high appreciation to both Anne-Line and Gudrun for their encouragement, dedication, and immense support for all of us to finish our thesis. You both are true definition of Student Advisors. To all my SUM friends, thank you for everythings for these past two years; pomodoro sessions, cakes and soups, jokes, vents, and insightful talks during the thesis-writing days. Surely, I will miss you all. My life in Oslo would not have been easy without my Indonesian friends and families. Dira, Eline, Avi, Windi, Oji, Manda, and Reza, no words could express how much I am grateful to have all of you in my Oslo’s life. To the Malaiholo and Andi Rafiandi families, I would not survive here without your kindness, home-made Indonesian foods, and endless questions just to make sure that I was doing allright during my thoughest time of thesis. To Wigke Capri, thank you for all the phone-calls and chats on all things that happened to our life, you are the best friend to me. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to Papa, Mama, and Kristi for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them all, terimakasih! IV Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... III Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... IV Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... V List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... VIII List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. I List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Landscape of the Case ...................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Central Research Question ............................................................................................... 5 1.3 Context on Research Location .......................................................................................... 6 1.4 Significance of the Research ............................................................................................ 8 1.5 Thesis Structure ................................................................................................................ 9 2 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework .............................................................. 11 2.1 The ‘Samin Movement’ .................................................................................................. 11 2.2 Saminism as a Puritan Javanese Movement ................................................................... 13 2.3 Saminism as a Peasant Movement .................................................................................. 17 2.4 Addressing the Concept of Indigeneity .......................................................................... 21 2.5 Actors’ Interests in Resource Management .................................................................... 24 2.5.1 The State .................................................................................................................. 25 2.5.2 Business ................................................................................................................... 27 2.5.3 Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) ................................. 28 2.5.4 Grassroots ................................................................................................................ 30 3 Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 32 3.1 Research Methods........................................................................................................... 32 3.1.1 Literature Review .................................................................................................... 33 3.1.2 Interviews ................................................................................................................ 34 3.1.3 Observation ............................................................................................................. 35 3.1.4 Secondary Data ....................................................................................................... 36 3.2 Gaining Access and Consent .......................................................................................... 37 3.3 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................... 39 V 3.4 Research Limitations ...................................................................................................... 41 3.5 Validity of the Research ................................................................................................. 42 3.6 Reflections from the Field .............................................................................................. 44 4 What is Saminism?.............................................................................................................. 47 4.1 The History of the Samin Movement ............................................................................. 47 4.2 Doctrines of Sikep (Samin’s Teachings) ........................................................................ 50 4.2.1 Sikep Teachings on Spirituality and Divinity ......................................................... 51 4.2.2 The Sikep’s Views on the Human-Nature Relationship