Becoming a true Javanese: A Javanese view of attempts at Javanisation

Abstract

The active bearers of Javanese culture have two main aims in life: To make themselves true Javanese, and to try to make 'others' Javanese; others include other races or ethnicities. This article explores the relationship between Javaneseness and politics, and the attitude of Indonesian presidents from Sukarno to Megawati Sukarnoputri on this subject. The promotion of Javaneseness is most characteristically embodied in various kinds of Currents of Belief, united in two umbrella organisations: namely the Himpunan Penghayat Kepercayaan Terhadap Tuhan Yang Maha Esa or HPK (The Association of those who have Faith in the One Supreme God), and the Badan Koordinasi Organisasi-Organisasi Kepercayaan Terhadap Tuhan Yang Maha Esa or BKOK (The Coordinating Authority for Organisations of those who have Belief in the One Supreme God). © 2006 Editors, Indonesia and the Malay World.