Soldiers, parties and bureaucrats: illicit fund-raising in contemporary Indonesia

Author: Mietzner, Marcus

Source: South East Asia Research, Volume 16, Number 2, July 2008 , pp. 225-254(30)

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Abstract:

This article discusses illicit fund-raising efforts in Indonesia's armed forces, political parties and bureaucracy after the fall of Suharto in 1998. It argues that while personal self-enrichment remains a key motivation for military leaders, party politicians and bureaucrats to collect off-budget funds, there are also other crucial factors. Most importantly, all three sectors aim to control independent funds in order to maintain or strengthen their autonomy from other state institutions, such as parliamentary budget commissions, executive monitoring bodies or official auditing boards. By engaging in extensive self-financing practices, however, the three political actors undermine their own professionalism, functional effectiveness and internal coherence, and obstruct Indonesia's process of democratic consolidation.

Keywords: MILITARY; BUREAUCRACY; PARTIES; CORRUPTION; DEMOCRACY; INDONESIA

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000008785260446

Publication date: 2008-07-01

More about this publication?

South East Asia Research publishes articles based on original research or fieldwork on all aspects of South East Asia within the disciplines of archaeology, art history, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, music, political science, social anthropology and religious studies. This peer-reviewed journal is published four times per year by IP Publishing in cooperation with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). SOAS is the leading centre in this field in Europe and one of the most prestigious centres of South East Asian Studies in the world.
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