Truth and justice has been applauded as the way to move on from a violent past. Yet, some postconflict societies managed to do so without the presence, or effective presence, of truth commissions and/or human rights trials. The question is why and how.
I approach the questions by looking at the case of Maluku, Indonesia, where post- communal conflict reconciliation processes took the interdependence path. First, I look into the various meanings that Malukans assign to the term rekonsiliasi. Second, I identify and observe the sites where interdependence is practiced: (1) ceremonial, (2) neighborhood, (3) functional-quotidian, and (4) narrative. I argue that three conditions, combined, allowed Malukans to opt for interdependence instead of truth and justice: (1) provokator narratives, (2) the idea that everyone is complicit, and (3) memories of peace, of being basudara. I also argue that interdependence work through three mechanisms: (1) emphasizing on social roles rather than religious identity, (2) providing space to symbolically display apologies and forgiveness and (3) creating focal points for peace.
Dr. Kusamaningrum is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Indonesia. The courses she teaches include Introduction to Peace Studies, Conflict Analysis and Transformation, and Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. She is also a researcher and facilitator at UGM’s Center for Security and Peace Studies. She has recently finished her doctoral studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.