Violence, Decentralization, and Resource Access in Indonesia

Background

This paper examines the social and political factors that dictate who has access and control over natural resources, arguing that non-deliberate decentralization of resource management can create situations that encourage conflict.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The author highlights that poor people in Indonesia have suffered both during the top down regime of Suharto and the decentralized local government that followed because government is not accountable. Police and military forces are required to raise money for operations and often participat in mining, logging and other activities leading to environmental degradation. Finally, conservation projects often exclude locals from resource use and use violent tactics, often contributing to the detriment to these projects.