The Limits of Ethnic Politics in Indonesia: A Case Study of Riau Politics

Revitalization of ethnic identity has signified the implementation of Indonesian decentralization and democratization. It is marked by competition over political and economic resources among ethnic groups at the local level (provincial and district levels). The dominant ethnic group utilized ethnic politics to control over political power. This study examines the impacts of ethnic politics in Riau-Sumatra, an Indonesian province, after more than 10 years decentralization. The Malay as the dominant ethnic group exercised ethnic politics through various channels including in the political, economy and socio-cultural domains. The study employed a qualitative approach. The results found that cartel politics, fragmentation of Malayness, and the weak of local activism in Riau has weakened the strategy of ethnic politics that previously promoted by the Malay ethnic group. Thus, local politics dominated by coalition among elites regardless their ethnicity. Political party and access to economic resources became the main influential factors in Riau politics. This coalition has caused the gap between elite and non-elite groups. Hence, political activism involved only the elite and excluded non elite citizens (both Malay and non Malay). Meanwhile, heterogeneity of Malayness has fragmented the ethinic group and caused the lack of solidity among Malay in employing the ethnic politic strategy in local politics. This study illustrates class as an important dimension in the way the ethnic politic work at the local level. Thus, ethnic politics has benefitted elites regardless their ethnic background and been positioning the lower class at the margin. The findings argue that political cartel, fragmentation of Malayness, and the weak of local activism have caused the limit of ethnic politics.