The <em>Toraja</em> as an Ethnic Group and Indonesian Democratization Since the Reform Era

Abstract

When the authoritarian Suharto regime fell in 1998, Indonesia entered a period of transition on democracy, known as "era reformasi" (reform era). For local Communities it brings the opportunity, which is important for them, to demands more widely space in various political fields. <br /> In response to these demands and as part of the effort to show that Democracy is implemented locally, the government passed a number of laws on decentralization and regional autonomy, as well as laws on a modified system of Elections of heads of state at local and regional level (governor, district administrator, Mayor). These measures have given local people important rights to the choose regional and local heads of government according to the formal democratic process based on different standard thru the local standards. <br /> The process of local elections as a democratic arena demands the democratic pattern of State by the local people responding in their own context. This Clash leads to peculiar dynamics and processes, since local culture and values (adat) also regulate the local elections in Toraja. It came to special Activities during the elections in Toraja as a typical "Toraja-style", with the election and the state law and to facilitate this political process in its own way based on how they interpret the process. These activities related to question, as with democracy as the desired one to deal with political form is in the context of the community of indigenous people with their specific traditions in the political field.<br /> Based on the qualitative method in social research, this work analyzes the Dynamics of the Toraja ethnic group with focus on the North Toraja district, as there In 2010 the first elections took place after the district of Toraja district in 2008 was split off. The work considers this region as part of Indonesia in the context of the Democratization process of the reform era. <br /> Thru reference to the legal pluralism approaches, 30 people were interviewed various places (North Toraja, Torajaland, Makassar, Luwu, East Luwu and Jakarta). The Interviewees were local political officials, political and traditional Leaders from political parties, academics, NGO activists as well as Journalists. The material was complemented by informal discussions with relevant citizens the goal, so the importance and relevance of the adat as a common law for the political processes that are regulated by various formal laws. The 2010 North Toraja Local Election illustrates how indigenous groups exemplify theirs own way go in the election process, which stands for the respect to the state in local level democracy implementation. <br /> The results of the research in northern Toraja like first, lead to the assumption that the election is an undemocratic process acted due to the fact that the practices do not equal citizens considered. But if the political practices of a community are based on what They may not think of themselves as the most suitable way apply undemocratically. If democracy is considered a system that meets the needs of people In the center, only to be implemented, this study from Toraja can make a critical contribution make a claim on the tendency of the state to assert its claims through its legal system implement. A look at Toraja's ethnic group and their experiences gives one Insight into the way indigenous communities govern state frameworks and to accept democratic requirements as duties imposed upon them, and yet to do so their own fundamental norms of adat, which is part of their social identity that could not to be ignored.