Fear and Uncertainty: Local Perceptions of the Sorcerer and the State in an Indonesian Witch-hunt
In: Asian Journal of Social ScienceSearch for other papers by Nicholas Herriman in
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Abstract
In 1998, around one hundred alleged sorcerers were killed in Banyuwangi District, East Java. Most scholars treated the killings as a conspiracy. My evidence indicates that local residents have been killing 'sorcerers' for at least the past half century. Rather than a conspiracy, the increased numbers of killings in 1998 can be attributed to: 1. A perception that the reform movement ca 1998 incorporated violence against sorcerers, as much as social or political protest; 2. Attempts by officials to safely relocate 'sorcerers', by identifying those to be relocated. Officials thereby inadvertently confirmed the identities of 'sorcerers' and gave encouragement to potential killers; 3. A perception that officers of the police and army were afraid they would be accused of human rights violations if they prevented local residents killing 'sorcerers'.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Fear and Uncertainty: Local Perceptions of the Sorcerer and the State in an Indonesian Witch-hunt
In: Asian Journal of Social ScienceSearch for other papers by Nicholas Herriman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
In 1998, around one hundred alleged sorcerers were killed in Banyuwangi District, East Java. Most scholars treated the killings as a conspiracy. My evidence indicates that local residents have been killing 'sorcerers' for at least the past half century. Rather than a conspiracy, the increased numbers of killings in 1998 can be attributed to: 1. A perception that the reform movement ca 1998 incorporated violence against sorcerers, as much as social or political protest; 2. Attempts by officials to safely relocate 'sorcerers', by identifying those to be relocated. Officials thereby inadvertently confirmed the identities of 'sorcerers' and gave encouragement to potential killers; 3. A perception that officers of the police and army were afraid they would be accused of human rights violations if they prevented local residents killing 'sorcerers'.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 651 | 99 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 156 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 109 | 9 | 0 |
