Peace in Aceh
A Personal Account of the Helsinki Peace process

By Damien Kingsbury

Following nearly three decades of conflict and a series of failed ceasefire agreements, on 15 August 2005, the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Government of Indonesia reached an historic peace agreement to end the fighting and to give Aceh a high degree of genuine autonomy. The catalyst for the talks that produced this agreement was the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004, which left almost 170,000 dead or missing in Aceh and destroyed most of the populated low-lying areas.

The Legacy of the Barang People

An exploration of the puzzling similarities of the Hungarian and Malay languages

By György Busztin

The Malay language, one of the most widely used in Southeast Asia, is commonly assumed to be relatively young. In the course of its development it incorporated a great number of loan words, galvanising them into an organic unit so successfully that it became the chief linguistic vehicle of regional trade. Easy to use and understand, Malay soon functioned as a kind of merchants’ Esperanto in the vast archipelago.

Indonesia, Islam and Democracy

Dynamics in a Global Context

By Azyumardi Azra

As with many newly democratic countries, Indonesia faces common problems such as crisis of leadership, ethnic and communal conflicts, and the clash of Islam and the West. Indonesia, Islam, and Democracy: Dynamics in a Global Context brings fresh insight to the growing influence of Islam which is often ignored by foreign observers. Azyumardi Azra, a noted historian, breaks away from the common analysis of the current political situation and uncovers the lineages of the influence of Islam in Indonesian politics since the collapse of the Suharto era. more

Understanding Women in Islam

An Indonesian Perspective

By Syafiq Hasyim

Understanding Women in Islam: An Indonesian Perspective critically explores gender-biased discourse within Islamic jurisprudence. It also elucidates matters seldom discussed in the Qu’ran and proposes a way out from the current methodological deadlock regarding women’s position in Islam. more

Modern Malaysian: A Tribute to FELDA’s Craftspeople
By Sakinah Aljunid & Warwick Purser

Modern Malaysian: A Tribute to FELDA’s Craftspeople is a celebration of the remarkable skill and ingenuity that goes into handcrafted products in Malaysia. With over 120 images by world-renowned photographer Rio Helmi, Modern Malaysian showcases the products and the people of FELDA who make them in all corners of the country. Modern Malaysian is a must-have reference book for interior designers looking for new colors and forms, as well as members of the general public who are interested in the remarkable history and fascinating contemporary uses of handcrafted products in modern-day Malaysia. more

Ellipsis
POEMS AND PROSE POEMS

By Laksmi Pamuntjak

Lyrical and elegiac, Laksmi Pamuntjak’s poetry moves you with the speed of a heartache.’ – Felix Cheong, author of Temptation and Other Poems, I Watch the Stars Go Out and Broken by the Rain. ‘Pamuntjak writes in the introspective style that is at once intimate – but also, in the poet’s own words – ‘giddy, glowing, red hot.’ – Cyril Wong, author of squatting quietly, the end of his orbit, below: absence, and unmarked treasure. more

At Home Abroad

A Memoir of the Ford Foundation in Indonesia 1953-1973

By John Bresnan
IN 1953, as part of the Eisenhower/Dulles response to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s charges of security risks in its staff, John Bresnan was fired from the U.S. foreign service. This turned out to be a blessing is disguise as he was quickly hired by the Ford Foundation in its New York headquarters, and in 1961 was appointed Assistant Representative to Indonesia. Four years later, Bresnan was given another assignment: close the office. more

Visit us at http://www.EquinoxPublishing.com for more details.