Two decades after Indonesia's transition to democracy, Indonesia's labor movement is a vibrant political actor. This book provides the first in-depth analysis of this development, investigating the unique tactics Indonesia's labor movement used to gain a strategic foothold in a country with no recent history of union engagement in politics.
Focusing on cross-border mobility, this work explores its impact on diplomatic relationships among Southeast Asian states and the social and political dynamics in key destination countries. It delves into historical processes of bordering, the evolution of power and sovereignty, and the drivers behind modern mobility. The text also examines government management of border-crossers and the resulting tensions, ultimately highlighting the significance of understanding these practices for a comprehensive view of contemporary Southeast Asia.
This Element describes the geopolitics of the early postwar period and the economic and political dynamics that perpetuated labor's containment yet produced a resurgence of labor mobilization in the 21st century. It also explains why democratization has had mixed effects on organized labor in Southeast Asia region.