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18 JEMIE 43 (2019)
Asymmetry in a Decentralized, Unitary State: Lessons from the Special Regions of Indonesia

handle is hein.journals/jemie2019 and id is 112 raw text is: * Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe JEMILE l Vol 18, No 2, 2019, 43-71. Copyright ©D ECMI 2019 This article is located at: http://www.ecni.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2019 /DeVilliers et al.pdf Asymmetry in a Decentralized, Unitary State: Lessons from the Special Regions of Indonesia Saldi Isra* Bertus de Villiers Zainal Arifin University of Andalas University of Johannesburg University Gadjah Mada Abstract Since the enactment of its post-war Constitution, Indonesia has recognized asymmetry as an important tool to accommodate and manage the complexity of its population and its regional diversity, while at the same time retaining its unitary character. Indonesia has 260 million people, 300 ethnic groups, a large number of islands and 34 major provinces. The founders of the Indonesian state had to strike a balance between harnessing an integrated national political culture and recognizing the complexity and unique characteristics of its regions. Under the current Constitution, therefore, five of Indonesia's 34 provinces have special status with asymmetrical powers and functions. Each of the special regions has a unique background and circumstance that, in some cases, predates the existence of the Indonesian state. Although asymmetric decentralization adds complexity to the administration of the Indonesian state, it keeps the country together by allowing constitutional space for regional uniqueness, managing the stresses that arise in deeply divided societies. Indonesia's combination of symmetry and asymmetry provides unique lessons for other countries trying to strike a balance between unity and recognition of diversity. Key words: Decentralization, Indonesia, Special regions, Asymmetry, Accommodation of diversity, Self-government, Aceh, Papua, Jakarta, Yogyakarta * Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Andalas, Padang, Indonesia: saldiisra@mkri.id Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg, South Africa: bertusdev@gmail.com Muchtar Faculty of Law, University Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia: zainalarifinmochtar@yahoo.com