The topic for this research assignment is stability and violence in Indonesia. This topic could be the title for a very thick volume of work, and considering Indonesias' goegraphical, economic, and social ties with Australia; it would be a useful contemporary resource. This assignment however, will concern itself with a brief analytical outline of the topic. Firstly the methodology of the research undertaken will be explained. The history of the republic of Indonesia will then be used to provide a basis of historical understanding as to the cyclic nature of stability and violence in this society.
The historical perspective, while brief, will also include some detail of the evolution of the governing bodies of this republic, their strengths/weaknesses and the outcomes of these factors. Once a basic historical perspective has been reached, this paper will illustrate the emic' and etic' perception of some contemporary issues related to the topic. The province of Aceh, a small area to the far west of the Indonesian archipelago, defined by the solidarity of its people for autonomy, will be used to reveal how violence and stability are contrastingly perceived by the west and east. News bulletins authored by both the western and eastern media over a specific time frame have been included as appendix.
Methodology.
The methods used to research this assignment were to read widely and critically. The readings for this subject in topic three concerning asian values' were especially useful in defining the direction for this document. Researching for the emic perspective proved the most difficult, with relatively few English translations available. While it may seem an easy way out, the web proved to have a definite advantage in this respect. Translations of Indonesian news reports, and an emic perspective on the republics' history were available, proving invaluable in comparing and contrasting information.