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Unity through Exclusion: The Role of National Identity in Indonesia's Annexation of East Timor

Ek, Oliver LU (2025) STVM25 20242
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis delves into the construction and exhibition of national identity during the first decade of President Suharto's Indonesian rule, focused on its role in legitimising authoritarianist measures and enabling external interventions, with a particular focus on East Timor. Through a postcolonial perspective and employing a Critical Discourse Analysis, it explores how national identity was used as a tool for power consolidation within an authoritarian structure. The analysis utilises a theoretical framework of state capacity as a prerequisite to determine which measures could be acted upon within an authoritarian context, alongside the dynamics of the 'self' and 'the other', to explore how Suharto's regime framed unity through... (More)
This thesis delves into the construction and exhibition of national identity during the first decade of President Suharto's Indonesian rule, focused on its role in legitimising authoritarianist measures and enabling external interventions, with a particular focus on East Timor. Through a postcolonial perspective and employing a Critical Discourse Analysis, it explores how national identity was used as a tool for power consolidation within an authoritarian structure. The analysis utilises a theoretical framework of state capacity as a prerequisite to determine which measures could be acted upon within an authoritarian context, alongside the dynamics of the 'self' and 'the other', to explore how Suharto's regime framed unity through exclusion in securing its legitimacy. It demonstrates how Suharto's national identity endeavour was rooted in hegemonic discourses emphasising equivalence within the Indonesian populace whilst constructing both internal and external threats to justify coercive policies. Through framing the state as the protector of the Indonesian nation, the regime suppressed dissent and legitimised interventions such as in East Timor. This study thus contributes to broader discussions on the relationship between nationalism, authoritarianism, and state violence, while underscoring the contextual specificity of identity construction in postcolonial settings. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ek, Oliver LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20242
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
authoritarianism, Indonesia, national identity, postcolonialism, Suharto
language
English
id
9179351
date added to LUP
2025-03-04 11:54:13
date last changed
2025-03-04 11:54:13
@misc{9179351,
  abstract     = {{This thesis delves into the construction and exhibition of national identity during the first decade of President Suharto's Indonesian rule, focused on its role in legitimising authoritarianist measures and enabling external interventions, with a particular focus on East Timor. Through a postcolonial perspective and employing a Critical Discourse Analysis, it explores how national identity was used as a tool for power consolidation within an authoritarian structure. The analysis utilises a theoretical framework of state capacity as a prerequisite to determine which measures could be acted upon within an authoritarian context, alongside the dynamics of the 'self' and 'the other', to explore how Suharto's regime framed unity through exclusion in securing its legitimacy. It demonstrates how Suharto's national identity endeavour was rooted in hegemonic discourses emphasising equivalence within the Indonesian populace whilst constructing both internal and external threats to justify coercive policies. Through framing the state as the protector of the Indonesian nation, the regime suppressed dissent and legitimised interventions such as in East Timor. This study thus contributes to broader discussions on the relationship between nationalism, authoritarianism, and state violence, while underscoring the contextual specificity of identity construction in postcolonial settings.}},
  author       = {{Ek, Oliver}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Unity through Exclusion: The Role of National Identity in Indonesia's Annexation of East Timor}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}