Formerly known as the Dutch East Indes, Indonesia is one of the most ethically diverse countries on Earth! This diversity extends to the minority ethnic groups who call it home, of which there are over three hundred. Almost seven hundred languages/dialects are spoken in Indonesia. It is also one of the world's most politically and economically unstable countries at the moment! I had crossed into Kalimantan from Malaysia in the Spring of 2001 shortly after fighting had broken out in Sampit between indigenous Dyak minority tribal people and migrant Javanese workers. Although I was around a thousand kilometers from the conflict, when I tried to find a local guide to take me just a few kilometers inland to visit local indigenous Dyak ethnic minorities, I was told it was too dangerous! Also, one time when trying to cash a US $100 travelers check in a large city, I was told to try elsewhere as the bank did not have that amount on hand in local currency!

Various parts of the country have been political "hotspots" for a number of years, but the visitor should consult the advice of their (and/or other) embassies in Jakarta for up-to-date travel advice, which can and does change very suddenly. In particular, the recent bombing on Bali should remind the visitor that any part of this country can be a dangerous place to be.

In March, 1999, the first Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago was held, focusing on political and human rights, independence from Indonesia, women's issues etc. This was the first pan-indigenous meeting of its kind, and is indicative of the growing break-up of the country exemplified by the recent inauguration of sovreign status in East Timor.

Independent travel in Indonesia can be very challenging. Although most of the islands that make up the country are not inhabited, many ethnolinguistic minority peoples are to be found only in very isolated areas which can be difficult to reach. Anyone who's experience of the country is limited to vacationing in Bali should know that most of Indonesia is a far cry from such Western creature comforts!

Books

Aragon, L. V., (2000) Fields of the Lord: Animism, Christian Minorities, and State Development in Indonesia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Maribeth, E., (2001) Conceptualising Culture in a Global Age: Playing Caci in Manggarai. Singapore: Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore (Working papers no. 160).