The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project ....The Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. This project analyses the immediate and long-term causes of the killing of perhaps 500,000 communists and others in Indonesia between October 1965 and March 1966. The project examines newly available archival and memoir material, as well as conducting fresh interviews, to explain the respective roles of the Indonesian armed forces, military-sponsored and independent militias, and civilian viglantes in initiating and carrying out the killings. The project sets this detailed examination in the context of the extreme political tension in Indonesia in the early 1960s and more-deeply rooted patterns of violence in Indonesian society.Read moreRead less
The 2004 Australian Election Study Survey: The Decline of Political Parties? Long renowned for the stability of its political party system, Australia is finally experiencing a sustained challenge to the dominance of the major parties, which is reflected in an increasing preference by voters for minor parties and independent candidates. This project will examine the implications of these developments by conducting a public-use, national sample survey of voters at the next federal election, likely ....The 2004 Australian Election Study Survey: The Decline of Political Parties? Long renowned for the stability of its political party system, Australia is finally experiencing a sustained challenge to the dominance of the major parties, which is reflected in an increasing preference by voters for minor parties and independent candidates. This project will examine the implications of these developments by conducting a public-use, national sample survey of voters at the next federal election, likely to be held in 2004. The outcomes generated by the project will enhance academic and community understanding of the nature of the changing partisan climate within the Australian electorate.Read moreRead less
The 2010 Australian election study: The dynamics of political choice. In addition to providing an in-depth understanding of general patterns of Australian voting behaviour, the 2010 Australian Election Study (AES) will provide a detailed, objective account of how and why voters made up their minds in the 2010 federal election. The 2010 AES adds to the unbroken series of national election surveys conducted after each Australian federal election since 1987. These surveys provide an unrivalled re ....The 2010 Australian election study: The dynamics of political choice. In addition to providing an in-depth understanding of general patterns of Australian voting behaviour, the 2010 Australian Election Study (AES) will provide a detailed, objective account of how and why voters made up their minds in the 2010 federal election. The 2010 AES adds to the unbroken series of national election surveys conducted after each Australian federal election since 1987. These surveys provide an unrivalled resource for moving beyond impressionistic accounts of political behaviour. The survey will enable researchers to determine what citizens think of politics and the processes that produce a government, and to understand how and why mass political attitudes have changed over a quarter of a century.Read moreRead less
The political economy of preferential trade in the Western Asia Pacific region. This study will undertake the first systematic, theoretically-informed comparative analysis of the origins, evolution and effects of the new preferential trade agreements (PTAs) in which at least one of the parties is an economy on the Western Pacific Rim. It will provide a significant geographical extension of the knowledge base regarding the origins and effects of PTAs, and contribute to the testing of hypotheses ....The political economy of preferential trade in the Western Asia Pacific region. This study will undertake the first systematic, theoretically-informed comparative analysis of the origins, evolution and effects of the new preferential trade agreements (PTAs) in which at least one of the parties is an economy on the Western Pacific Rim. It will provide a significant geographical extension of the knowledge base regarding the origins and effects of PTAs, and contribute to the testing of hypotheses and development of theory regarding this important recent departure in commercial diplomacy. It will generate a single-authored book and a series of journal articles.Read moreRead less
Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising pr ....Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising practices of political parties. Accordingly, this study will be of great interest to Australian policy-makers, aid officials and businesses that wish to address the deficiencies in Indonesia's political system through political and economic cooperation programs.Read moreRead less
Islam and identity in Java: the violent culmination and subsequent decline of communal conflict, c. 1920- present. This project analyses for the first time the culmination of politicised and bloody conflict along lines of Islamic religious identity within Javanese society - today 100-million strong and Indonesia's largest ethnic group - and the subsequent decline and depoliticisation of those religiously defined categories, c. 1920-present. This process has left Javanese society more deeply Isla ....Islam and identity in Java: the violent culmination and subsequent decline of communal conflict, c. 1920- present. This project analyses for the first time the culmination of politicised and bloody conflict along lines of Islamic religious identity within Javanese society - today 100-million strong and Indonesia's largest ethnic group - and the subsequent decline and depoliticisation of those religiously defined categories, c. 1920-present. This process has left Javanese society more deeply Islamised than at any time in its history. But conflicting categories might, in theory, be repoliticised. The 2004 election campaign will be crucial for this analysis. The resultant book will be the last of three analysing the Islamisation of the Javanese from the 14th century to the present.
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Democratization, Institutional Reform and Ethnic Politics in the Asia-Pacific. The democratisation of the Asia-Pacific has significant implications for Australia. Consolidated democracies are better able to manage internal conflicts, and less likely to pose a threat to their neighbours via arms trafficking, refugee flows, and transnational terrorism. However, the initial transitional period of democratisation can be highly fraught, and many of the new democracies of the Asia-Pacific are fragile, ....Democratization, Institutional Reform and Ethnic Politics in the Asia-Pacific. The democratisation of the Asia-Pacific has significant implications for Australia. Consolidated democracies are better able to manage internal conflicts, and less likely to pose a threat to their neighbours via arms trafficking, refugee flows, and transnational terrorism. However, the initial transitional period of democratisation can be highly fraught, and many of the new democracies of the Asia-Pacific are fragile, beset by internal cleavages and conflicts. If ways can be found to manage ethnic and other cleavages within a democratic framework, the prospects for peaceful and stable governance in the region will be significantly enhanced. This has the potential to transform the security of the region and Australia's relations with it.Read moreRead less
The Peace Process in Aceh, Indonesia. Indonesia is critical to Australia's security, economic and strategic interests. This study of the Aceh peace process will aid our understanding of how Indonesia is grappling with two issues crucial for its long-term stability: i) management of ethnic and separatist conflicts, and ii) proliferation of local corruption. The study will interest Australian policy-makers, businesspeople and others concerned with Indonesia. It will be valuable to the overseas dev ....The Peace Process in Aceh, Indonesia. Indonesia is critical to Australia's security, economic and strategic interests. This study of the Aceh peace process will aid our understanding of how Indonesia is grappling with two issues crucial for its long-term stability: i) management of ethnic and separatist conflicts, and ii) proliferation of local corruption. The study will interest Australian policy-makers, businesspeople and others concerned with Indonesia. It will be valuable to the overseas development community, especially the many agencies involved in post-tsunami reconstruction assistance in Aceh. Finally, the project will enhance Australia's reputation as a source of high quality research on Indonesia and on armed conflicts and peace processes in the Asia-Pacific.Read moreRead less
Politics of land in Vietnam, late 1950s-1990s. The project is three-fold: (1) complete an in-depth analysis of the politics of land in Vietnam during the second half of the 20th century, (2) through this analysis contribute to a broader understanding of Vietnam's political system, and (3) show the implications of this Vietnam case for comprehending how unorganized, everyday kinds of activity in an authoritarian political system can contribute to significant shifts in national policies. Expected ....Politics of land in Vietnam, late 1950s-1990s. The project is three-fold: (1) complete an in-depth analysis of the politics of land in Vietnam during the second half of the 20th century, (2) through this analysis contribute to a broader understanding of Vietnam's political system, and (3) show the implications of this Vietnam case for comprehending how unorganized, everyday kinds of activity in an authoritarian political system can contribute to significant shifts in national policies. Expected outcomes include a book on agricultural collectivization and decollectivization in Vietnam, a PhD dissertation on land reform in the southern half of the country, and journal articles.Read moreRead less
Understanding the World: Domei Tsushin (United News Agency), the Japanese State and International Politics 1936 - 52. Domei tsushin (United News Agency) was arguably the most important source of overseas events for the Japanese public during the war time. A rigorous scholarly examination, however, has been yet to come. Using new materials, this project will first examine Domei's role and its relations with the state during the war, and assesses its over all impact in international politics. ....Understanding the World: Domei Tsushin (United News Agency), the Japanese State and International Politics 1936 - 52. Domei tsushin (United News Agency) was arguably the most important source of overseas events for the Japanese public during the war time. A rigorous scholarly examination, however, has been yet to come. Using new materials, this project will first examine Domei's role and its relations with the state during the war, and assesses its over all impact in international politics. Secondly, it will explore how its role, structure and relations with the state and the public changed (or unchanged) in the post-war peace time. I intend to produce a book manuscript at the end of the project.Read moreRead less