Unity and diversity: National identity and multiculturalism in Indonesia

Abstract

In adherence to its national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), Indonesia maintains a narrative of a culturally plural but unified nation. The government represents a people of over 1,000 ethnic groups across six nationally recognised religions, spread across more than 17,000 islands. Within the context of the national motto, people are expected to share a similar civic Indonesian national identity regardless of their ethno-regional or religious backgrounds. At the same time, Indonesia’s approach towards multiculturalism extends various degrees of recognition, accommodation, toleration and even discrimination towards different socio-cultural groups in conjunction with the diverse ethnographic landscapes across regions in the country.

Using theories of identity, nationalism and multiculturalism, this thesis examines how the Indonesian national identity is interpreted, experienced and understood both by elites and the people, particularly in consideration of the country’s ethno-regional, cultural and religious diversity. It begins with an explanation of the mixed methods within a qualitative paradigm used for this research and continues with an examination of the historical and constitutional framework for national identity and diversity in Indonesia. I then analyse the opinions of the people from Aceh, Jakarta, Maluku and West Java on the aspects of their identity pertaining to the ethno-regional, cultural and religious diversity in Indonesia, using information gained through individual in-depth interviews with laypeople as well as questionnaires and focus group discussions with university students. The different demographics in each region provide a good comparison between more homogeneous and heterogeneous populations, as well as between Muslim-majority and Christian-majority areas. To add other perspectives, I also examine the opinions of various types of elites on issues pertaining to identity and diversity in Indonesia gathered through individual interviews.

I argue that in its attempt to maintain national identity and unity, the Indonesian state has adopted an unequitable framework for multiculturalism. While its design is intended to safeguard diversity, this framework has fostered an environment which normalises privileges for Indonesia’s Muslim majority and disadvantages for minorities. This framework corresponds with the relationship between national, ethno-regional and religious identities in Indonesia. Participants tend to describe the Indonesian national identity in civic and cultural terms, such as the shared history of struggle against colonialism and values such as diversity and tolerance. Participants further share the narrative of the subordination of their ethno-regional identity to the Indonesian national identity. In contrast, religious identity is largely regarded as the most paramount: for the general population, religion is perceived as a fundamental source of moral guidance and more salient than national identity. This salience of religion helps explain the continued Islamist demands for more accommodation for Islam and Islamic law within the state, which in some instances include demands for a constitutional status for Islam. Indonesia’s framework for multiculturalism mollifies these demands but has detrimental side effects for minority groups; this framework thus safeguards and challenges diversity at the same time. Ultimately, I argue that the Indonesian state has to strike a better balance in accommodating various identities in the nation while maintaining its unity.