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The development of an Ambonese nationalist movement
from a non-territorial communal riot offers
an important insight into understanding the changes
in ethnic and national consciousness that had taken
place among the Ambonese since the eruption of
violence in January 1999. The 1999 conflict in
Ambon, Eastern Indonesia began as a communal riot in
which members of one group suddenly instigated a
violent attack on civilian members of another group.
However the development of the Moluccan Sovereignty
Front and the Java-based Laskar Jihad represented an
important phase in conflict development as each
nationalist construction played off each other. The
conflict on the island became characterised by this
trend where two conflicting ideological
constructions translated the conflict into a non-
negotiable confrontion between opposing national
rights. These constructions remained internalised on
the island and embedded within the mindsets of both
Ambonese Christians and Muslims thereby rendering
setbacks to conflict resolution.
About the author
Dr Kathleen Turner completed her doctorate in Politics & International Studies at Murdoch University in Western Australia in affiliation with the university's Asia Research Centre. She is currently based in Adelaide, Australia consulting for the private sector.
