An Introduction To Indonesian Law : Unity In Diversity

Book excerpt: Indonesian law is a remarkably complex mixture of Dutch legislation, uniquely indigenous institutions and Islamic commandments. It is hoped that this book will clarify some of the dimensions of this complexity, and that it will help to fill the need for introductory materials in English. The book is organized loosely around a general theme of fundamental importance in Indonesia: the division of the country into “population groups” based on racial origin, and the legal pluralism which has resulted from this division. The national motto of Indonesia - Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, “Unity in Diversity” is in part a response to this division. In the first chapter we discuss the origins of legal pluralism. In Chapters 2-5 we focus on several substantive areas - marriage and divorce, agrarian law, mortgages, contract law - where pluralism has been especially important. In chapter 6 we describe the law of conflicts which developed in the 20th century as a result of legal pluralism. Finally, in chapter 7, we consider some of the efforts in the last several years to achieve unification.