Populasi Volume 24 Nomor 2 2016 Halaman 23-36 MIGRATION, ETHNICITY AND LOCAL POLITICS: THE CASE OF JAKARTA, INDONESIA Aulia Hadi and Riwanto Tirtosudarmo Research Center for Society and Culture, Indonesian Institute of Sciences Correspondence: Aulia Hadi (email: [email protected]) Abstract As the capital city of a country with the world’s fourth largest population, Jakarta, like many other big cities in the developing economies, for example, Mexico City or New Delhi, hosts migrants from all regions of the country. Without a doubt, Jakarta has increasingly become the major core of the agglomeration processes transforming it and its satellite cities into a Mega Urban Region (MUR). This paper traces historically the interactions between migration, ethnicities and local politics in Jakarta from the 1960s to the 2000s focusing on the latest development, in which the phenomenon ‘Ahok’, the nickname of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese-Christian from the small district of Belitung, has become an increasingly popular Governor of Jakarta. The paper argues that through the recent developments in Jakarta the politics have apparently been transformed into more civic, rather than ethnic politics. The nature of Jakarta as a proliferating migrant city transcends narrow cultural identities as well as conventional party politics into a more active citizenry through the widespread use of social media. Keywords: migration, ethnicity, local politics, new media Introduction had already started in the 17th century. Because of the low number of inhabitants, the Government of the Dutch East Indies The interconnection between migration, encouraged people to move to Batavia1 to ethnicity and politics has been thoroughly meet its labour needs. The migrants were not studied, among others, by Fearon and Laitin only from Java’s hinterland (such as Javanese (2011). In the case of Indonesia, the recent and Sundanese ethnic groups) or outside of study by Barter and Cote (2015) clearly shows Java (such as Balinese, Bugis, Batak and that local political conflicts closely related Ambonese), but also from the Far East (such with the increasing number of migrants are as Japanese and Chinese people) and South perceived by the locals as a threat to their Asia (such as Arabs and Indians) (Castles, livelihoods. As the capital city of the world’s 1967 and Abeyasekere, 1987). Those ethnic fourth largest population country, Jakarta, groups then merged into what was called like many other big cities in the developing 1 economies, for example, Mexico City or New Batavia was the name of the Dutch East Indies’ capital city. At that time, it became the center of the Dutch East Delhi; hosts migrants from all the regions of Indies trading network in Asia, including black pepper, the country. The arrival of migrants to Jakarta cloves and cinnamon. Now the area corresponds to the city of Jakarta. Populasi Volume 24 Nomor 2 2016 23 Aulia Hadi and Riwanto Tirtosudarmo Source: http://www.inspired-bali.com/wp1/50-years-in-indonesia/, in which the grey colour, the red dot and the insert of Jakarta are modified by the authors Picture 1 Map of Indonesia with Jakarta Insert Batavian or Betawi or Djakarta Asli (Castles, Betawi Muslims. Since the end of the New 1967). With Jakarta as the capital, the number Order regime in 1998, the decentralization of migrants has increased significantly since governance system has provided greater the Independence of Indonesia in 1945. ‘power’ for both the regional governments Without a doubt, Jakarta has developed as the and the people to manage their city or region, major core of the agglomeration processes including by participating in direct regional transforming the city and its satellite cities into elections. In fact, local politicians in many a Mega Urban Region (MUR).2 The migrants areas are mostly reliant on the support of disperse to the satellite cities, therefore, the religious leaders considered able to get number in Jakarta has decreased since the large numbers of votes (Kloos & Berenschot, mid1990s. However, Jakarta has the most 2016). This certainly put a heavy burden on diverse ethnic mix in Indonesia with 9,607,787 Jokowi, a Muslim Javanese from Solo and inhabitants (Population Census of Indonesia, Ahok, a Christian Chinese-Indonesian from 2010). the small district of Belitung, who both are migrants to Jakarta. Despite negative ethno- In September 2012, surprisingly Jokowi religious campaigns against them, Miichi (Joko Widodo) and his running mate Ahok (2014) describes their victory as a triumph of (Basuki Tjahaja Purnama) won victory in democracy, particularly for the Jakartans. Jakarta’s 2012 Gubernatorial Elections. With 54% of votes, these candidates successfully In 2014, since Jokowi was elected beat the incumbent, Foke (Fauzi Bowo) and president in October, Ahok was inaugurated as Nara (Nachrowi Ramli) who are both native Jakarta’s new governor in November, amidst 2 protests from the supporters of the losing In this article, we consider Jakarta as a city. In fact, we should note that administratively since the 1950s Jakarta presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, has been governed not as a city, but as a province called and hard-line Islamic groups. In his early days Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta or the Special Capital as the Governor of Jakarta, Ahok experienced Territory of Jakarta, comprising five cities and one district (Bunnell & Miller, 2012). Furthermore, since the 1970s opposition from the House of Representatives during the centralized New Order regime emphasizing in terms of contravening the gubernatorial economic growth, Jakarta has been developed into appointment rules as well as budget a MUR called Jabodetabekjur incorporating Bogor, transparency. Ahok pays great attention to Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi and Cianjur (Firman, 2008 and 2009; Windarsih and Hadi, 2014). managing the governance system, including 24 Populasi Volume 24 Nomor 2 2016 MIGRATION, ETHNICITY AND LOCAL POLITICS: THE CASE OF JAKARTA, INDONESIA planning the dismissal of underachieving city of migrants from various ethnic groups. civil servants and introducing e-budgeting Then, we draw the dynamics of ethnicity and for transparency, as well as asking property provincial leadership in Jakarta from 1945 to owners to pay fines enabling him to conduct the present. In the third part, we describe the various projects in a short period of time. recent Jakarta local politics with an emphasis Therefore, with the bureaucracy of Jakarta on Ahok and his political manoeuvers, becoming much less cumbersome, Ahok including the establishment of ‘Teman Ahok’ is gaining popularity among the Jakartans (Friend{s} of Ahok) as the social media political despite his harsh attitudes. Banking on this campaign platform. Later, we discuss the popularity, Ahok is certain to run in the next political contestation for the upcoming Jakarta Jakarta Gubernatorial Elections in 2017. Gubernatorial Elections. The conclusion This article discusses the changing role highlights to what extend the civic politics is of ethnicity in Jakartans’ public life as well likely to work in Jakarta. as its consequences to the local politics. To some extent the democracy of Indonesia might be a paradox between freer and fairer Ethnic Composition of Jakarta public space and patronage democracy (Berenschot, Nordholt & Bakker, 2016). As Since its establishment in 1619 by Jan highlighted by Berenschot, Nordholt and Pieterszoon Coen, Jakarta has become a very Bakker (2016), a weakly institutionalized state attractive city (Abeyasekere, 1987). At that and mediated access to the state in most of time, the economic activities of Jakarta were the postcolonial states, including Indonesia, extensive and included farming, plantations, encourage client centered and often identity- the sugarcane industry as well as brick and roof based relationships with politicians and other tile production (Kanumoyoso, 2007) attracting power holders. Therefore organizations, such people to move to Jakarta because of the as ethnic or faith based ones, can be useful numerous job opportunities. As mentioned, lubricants for the client centered exchanges. these migrants were from Java’s hinterland However, we argue that the recent political and various parts of the Archipelago, as developments in Jakarta have apparently well as from East and South Asia. According been transformed into more civic rather than to Kanumoyoso (2007), the ethnic identity ethnic politics. The nature of Jakarta as a of migrants in Batavia was getting blurred proliferating migrant city transcends narrow because of (a) socio-economic interests and cultural identities as well as conventional party geographical proximity, (b) intermarriage politics into a more active citizenry through among various ethnic groups, (c) common the widespread use of social media. In the experiences in the military service of the heat of Jakarta’s 2017 Gubernatorial Election, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), for the first time in history, the front-runner is a (d) religious identity, and (e) slavery institutions Christian Chinese-Indonesian. Since Jakarta enabling migrants to work in a multi-ethnic is the center of national politics, this new environment. The presence of various ethnic kind of local politics will exemplify substantial groups created Batavia and then Jakarta as a democracy for other cities in Indonesia. multi-ethnic city. The aim of this article is to comprehend Since the Independence of Indonesia in the ways migration and ethnic diversity have