The Kendeng Mountains

143 Pages·2017·1.89 MB·English

by  Primi S. Putri

Re-Claiming Lost Possessions:

A Study of the Javanese Samin (Sedulur Sikep) Movement to
maintain their Peasant Identity and Access to Resources

Primi Suharmadhi Putri

Master thesis in Culture, Environment and Sustainability

Centre for Development and Environment

UNIVERSITY OF OSLO

2017
©Primi Suharmadhi Putri
2017
Re-Claiming Lost Possessions: A Study of the Javanese Samin (Sedulur Sikep) Movement to
maintain their Peasant Identity and Access to Resources
http://www.duo.uio.no/
Print: Reprosentralen, University of Oslo
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Abstract
This study focuses on a Saminist (Sedulur Sikep) community in Java – Indonesia, particularly
related to the contemporary anti-cement movement. With their Javanese puritanical traits and
non-violent resistance, the Sedulur Sikep community managed to live their lives as a culturally
separate community with distinct views on resource management, spirituality, and authority.
Currrently, this community’s members are now standing at a crossroad in defending their capital
resources and preserving their identities, culture, beliefs, livelihoods, and most importantly,
future generations by protecting their land and water resources through anti-cement activism.
Research findings show that the strong idealism and spiritual behaviors of Sedulur Sikep play a
crucial role in defining their activism within the anti-cement movement. This thesis studies the
perspective and activism of Sedulur Sikep through their conciousness, both as a peasant and
puritan Javanese community, toward the respective Kendeng Mountains. By perceiving the
physical and non-physical elements of the mountains and its surroundings, Sedulur Sikep
position themselves to challenge the powerful actors’ interests in the cement agenda. On the
other hand, Sedulur Sikep also manages to re-claim their identity as a passive and non-violent
Javanese peasant movement, while they also adapt with the anti-cement movement’s needs.
Therefore, the active role of Sedulur Sikep’s identities and their passive and non-violent
resistance traits are central within this study. This study then analyses Sedulur Sikep’s movement
strategies that have shifted into collective and openly declared forms of resistance, as
ramification of power and interest relations among involved actors within the cement agenda.
Key words: Sedulur Sikep, peasant, Java, cement industry, anti-cement movement
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Acknowledgements
This thesis would not have been possible without the help, support, and the existence of these
people. I would first like to thank my thesis supervisor, Prof. Desmond McNeill. The door to
Prof. McNeill’s office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had question about
my research or writing process. He consistently allowed this research to be my own work, but
steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it, I am truly grateful to be
supervised by you.
I would also like to acknowledge the Quota Scheme Program for making my study in Oslo and
SUM feasible.
I thank all my informants, the people in the anti-cement JMPPK for letting me became part of
their activities and sharing knowledge about Kendeng Mountains. I express my sincere gratitude
to Sedulur Sikep in Sukolilo, especially Gunarti and her family, for always welcoming me like
they have known me from long before. I certainly indebted to my host, Mbak Amal and her
family, for letting me to stay at her home, and treated me like part of the family.
My high appreciation to both Anne-Line and Gudrun for their encouragement, dedication, and
immense support for all of us to finish our thesis. You both are true definition of Student
Advisors.
To all my SUM friends, thank you for everythings for these past two years; pomodoro sessions,
cakes and soups, jokes, vents, and insightful talks during the thesis-writing days. Surely, I will
miss you all.
My life in Oslo would not have been easy without my Indonesian friends and families. Dira,
Eline, Avi, Windi, Oji, Manda, and Reza, no words could express how much I am grateful to
have all of you in my Oslo’s life. To the Malaiholo and Andi Rafiandi families, I would not
survive here without your kindness, home-made Indonesian foods, and endless questions just to
make sure that I was doing allright during my thoughest time of thesis. To Wigke Capri, thank
you for all the phone-calls and chats on all things that happened to our life, you are the best
friend to me.
Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to Papa, Mama, and Kristi for providing me
with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through
the process of researching and writing this thesis.
This accomplishment would not have been possible without them all, terimakasih!
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Table of Contents

Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... III
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... IV
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... V
List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... VIII
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. I
List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 1
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Landscape of the Case ...................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Central Research Question ............................................................................................... 5
1.3 Context on Research Location .......................................................................................... 6
1.4 Significance of the Research ............................................................................................ 8
1.5 Thesis Structure ................................................................................................................ 9
2 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework .............................................................. 11
2.1 The ‘Samin Movement’ .................................................................................................. 11
2.2 Saminism as a Puritan Javanese Movement ................................................................... 13
2.3 Saminism as a Peasant Movement .................................................................................. 17
2.4 Addressing the Concept of Indigeneity .......................................................................... 21
2.5 Actors’ Interests in Resource Management .................................................................... 24
2.5.1 The State .................................................................................................................. 25
2.5.2 Business ................................................................................................................... 27
2.5.3 Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) ................................. 28
2.5.4 Grassroots ................................................................................................................ 30
3 Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 32
3.1 Research Methods........................................................................................................... 32
3.1.1 Literature Review .................................................................................................... 33
3.1.2 Interviews ................................................................................................................ 34
3.1.3 Observation ............................................................................................................. 35
3.1.4 Secondary Data ....................................................................................................... 36
3.2 Gaining Access and Consent .......................................................................................... 37
3.3 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................... 39
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3.4 Research Limitations ...................................................................................................... 41
3.5 Validity of the Research ................................................................................................. 42
3.6 Reflections from the Field .............................................................................................. 44
4 What is Saminism?.............................................................................................................. 47
4.1 The History of the Samin Movement ............................................................................. 47
4.2 Doctrines of Sikep (Samin’s Teachings) ........................................................................ 50
4.2.1 Sikep Teachings on Spirituality and Divinity ......................................................... 51
4.2.2 The Sikep’s Views on the Human-Nature Relationship ......................................... 53
4.2.3 The Sikep’s Views on External Authority .............................................................. 55
4.2.4 Sikep Appearance and Attitude in Daily Life ......................................................... 59
4.3 The Contemporary Evolution of Samin Identity: Dispersed Communities ................... 61
4.3.1 Similarities among Dispersed Sikep Communities ................................................. 63
4.3.2 Differences across Samin Communities ................................................................. 66
4.4 Sedulur Sikep: A Puritan Javanese Peasantry or Adat Community? .............................. 70
4.4.1 What to Give, What to Get? .................................................................................... 70
4.4.2 Indigeneity of Sedulur Sikep? ................................................................................. 72
5 Kendeng Mountains’ Resource Potentials and Identity Narratives of Local Samin
People ........................................................................................................................................... 75
5.1 The Kendeng Mountains: An Introduction .................................................................... 75
5.2 Significance of Kendeng Mountains for Narratives of Development; Through Cement
Industry ..................................................................................................................................... 82
5.2.1 The Narratives of the Cement Industry ................................................................... 83
5.2.2 Economic Development Led by the Cement Industry? .......................................... 86
5.3 The Significance of the Kendeng Mountains for Local Sikep Communities ................. 88
5.3.1 Regarding the Sikep Notion of the Human-nature Relationship ............................ 89
5.3.2 Regarding External Authority ................................................................................. 92
6 Resistance and Anti-cement: Sikep Identity at a crossroads .......................................... 95
6.1 The Cement Industry in the Kendeng Mountains: An Opposed Agenda ....................... 95
6.1.1 The Beginning of the Cement Agenda in the Kendeng Mountains ........................ 95
6.1.2 Challenging the Environmental Permit Process ...................................................... 98
6.1.3 Multidimensional Impacts on the Development of the Industry........................... 102
6.2 Sikep’s Traits within the Anti-cement Agenda ............................................................ 105
6.3 Conflict within the Sikep Community regarding the Cement Agenda ........................ 110
VI
6.3.1 Sikep activism in Sukolilo-Pati ............................................................................. 111
6.3.2 Sedulur Sikep Kudus and Randublatung-Blora: Strengthening the Movement .... 112
6.3.3 Other Sedulur Sikep Communities; Questioning the Movement .......................... 115
7 The Vernacularization of Common Resources and Contested Identity; A Concluding
Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 118
7.1 Identity and Change ...................................................................................................... 118
7.2 Resources Access and Resistance ................................................................................. 120
7.3 Concluding Remarks .................................................................................................... 121
References .................................................................................................................................. 123
Appendix I: List of Informants ................................................................................................ 129
Appendix II: Interview Guides ................................................................................................ 131
Appendix III: Additional Pictures ........................................................................................... 133

VII
List of Figures
Figure 1 Maps of Research Location .............................................................................................. 7
Figure 2 Picture of Samin Surosentiko ......................................................................................... 48
Figure 3 Sedulur Sikep wearing their 'formal' Sikep costume ...................................................... 61
Figure 4 Mining concession area within Central Java Province. .................................................. 77
Figure 5 the distribution of caves, sinkholes, and natural springs in Kendeng mountains ........... 80
Figure 6 Diagram of EIA Processes in Indonesia ....................................................................... 100
Figure 7 JMPPK protest in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta ....................................... 133
Figure 8 the JMPPK’s ‘idols’ with Gunretno and Gunarti ......................................................... 133
VIII
List of Tables
Table 1 (Selected) Spatial Plan for District Sukolilo, Kayen and Tambakromo ............................ 7