New Order (Indonesia)

New Order (Indonesia)
Henk van Rinsum · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	New Order
Date	1968–1998
Location	Indonesia
Leader	Suharto
Key events	Transition to the New Order, Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, Act of Free Choice, Malari incident, Indonesian invasion of East Timor, May 1998 riots of Indonesia
Preceded by	Sukarno
Succeeded by	Post-Suharto era

New Order (Indonesia) The New Order () was the authoritarian government of Indonesia under President Suharto from 1968 until his resignation in 1998. It emerged from the political turmoil following the abortive coup of 1965, decisively ending the left-leaning, anti-imperialist Guided Democracy era of Sukarno. In the context of Dutch colonization in Southeast Asia, the New Order represented a significant ideological and geopolitical shift, moving away from Sukarno's confrontational stance against former colonial powers and Western capitalism towards a regime that prioritized economic development and alignment with the West, while maintaining a centralized, Javanese-dominated state structure that echoed aspects of colonial administrative control.

Origins and rise to power

The New Order's origins are rooted in the political and military crisis triggered by the 30 September Movement in 1965. Following the alleged communist-backed coup attempt, Major General Suharto, then commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), took control of the army and led a violent anti-communist purge. The subsequent Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, effectively destroyed the political left. Suharto gradually sidelined President Sukarno, securing the transfer of executive authority (Supersemar) in March 1966. He was formally appointed acting president in 1967 and president in 1968 by the People's Consultative Assembly, marking the definitive start of his regime.

Political system and ideology

The New Order established a highly centralized, authoritarian political system under the doctrine of the Dual Function (Dwifungsi) of the Indonesian military, which legitimized its pervasive role in political, social, and economic affairs. The state ideology of Pancasila was rigidly enforced as a unifying, depoliticizing doctrine. Political life was controlled through the electoral vehicle Golkar, while opposition parties like the Indonesian Democratic Party and the United Development Party were severely restricted. The system emphasized political stability, economic development, and anti-communism, suppressing political Islam, liberal democracy, and leftist ideologies.

Economic development and policies

Economically, the New Order abandoned Sukarno's autarkic policies and embraced Western-style economic development guided by a team of U.S.-educated economists known as the Berkeley Mafia. They implemented policies that welcomed foreign investment, prioritized macroeconomic stability, and focused on export-oriented industrialization. This period saw significant growth, dubbed "Indonesia's economic miracle," with major development in infrastructure, agriculture (notably the Green Revolution), and resource extraction (oil and natural gas). However, this growth was characterized by crony capitalism, corruption, and the concentration of wealth around the Suharto family and its associates.

Social control and human rights

The regime maintained control through extensive surveillance and repression by the state security apparatus, including the State Intelligence Agency (BAKIN) and military commands. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press were heavily curtailed. The government promoted a depoliticized version of Javanese culture as a national model. Human rights abuses were systematic, including the violent occupation of East Timor following the 1975 invasion, the suppression of separatist movements in Aceh and Papua, and the mysterious shootings (Petrus) of alleged criminals in the 1980s.

Foreign policy and international relations

New Order foreign policy marked a dramatic reversal from Sukarno's Konfrontasi against Malaysia and anti-Western posture. Suharto restored relations with Western nations and international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Indonesia became a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and a key Western ally in the Cold War in Southeast Asia. This pro-Walignment was solidified through significant economic and military aid from the United States, Japan, and other developed nations, though it maintained a nominally non-aligned stance.

Connection to colonial legacy

The New Order's governance exhibited continuities with the Dutch colonial administrative state. It preserved and intensified the highly centralized, Java-centric power structure established by the VOC and the Dutch colonial government. The regime's emphasis on political order, bureaucratic control, and economic extraction from the Outer Islands mirrored colonial patterns. Furthermore, its approach to managing Indonesia's immense ethnic and cultural diversity often relied on paternalistic control and the suppression of regional identities, a tactic with precedents in colonial "divide and rule" policies. The transmigration program, which moved millions from Java to other islands, also recalled colonial population policies.

Decline and fall

The regime's decline began in the late 1980s, exacerbated by rising public discontent over corruption, nepotism, and the Asian financial crisis of 1997–98, which devastated Indonesia's economy. The crisis triggered massive riots in May 1998, primarily in Jakarta, targeting ethnic Chinese businesses. Facing collapsing economic and political support, Suharto resigned on 21 May 1998, handing power to his vice president, B. J. Habibie. This event initiated the Reformasi (Reformation) era, a transition towards democratization.