Semar révélé. La crise indonésienne et l'imaginaire politique javanais

In: Archipel: études interdisciplinaires sur le monde insulindien, Band 64, Heft 1, S. 3-37

Abstract

Marcel Bonneff
During the Indonesian crisis, the protest against Soeharto's regime was partly focused towards the "Javanese colouring" of his way of governing, more especially its supernatural side, which is here called " demonocracy " or " political sorcery ". This component of power (not only Soeharto's) is evidenced in the very exercise of government, through the propitiatory practices of the ruling elite (from Soekarno up to Megawati), the role of some " specialists of the supernatural" (dhukun or seers) and the process of sacralization of authority. All this conduct manipulates numerous cultural references (to myths or pseudo-history, with their prophetic and messianic - or "ratuadilist" - aspects), the spectrum of which is much wider than the "classical" idea of power (as depicted by B. Anderson). The author of the present article prefers to call it an "imagined political kejawèn", referring both to the mysticism and the cultural nationalism of the Javanese, that is a common language somehow able to explain political conduct and also to legitimize it. We are then entitled to ask where the People are within this configuration of magically tinged interpretations and references; what is its capacity for an evolution or modernization of mentalities in the direction of democracy.