Witch-Hunt and Conspiracy: The 'Ninja Case' in East Java (Monash Asia Series)

This book brings unique insight and prize-winning analysis to an extraordinary story - that of a witch-hunt and 'ninja' craze that swept a region of Java, Indonesia, in 1998. When family members, friends, and neighbors believed that one among them was a sorcerer, this suspicion would sometimes culminate in the death of the suspect. In 1998, these sporadic killings turned into an outbreak of violence. Muslim organizations attributed the escalation of these killings to political conspirators, alleging that squads of 'ninjas' were responsible. A paramilitary group (Banser NU) began preparing and training for an onslaught of further violence, while anxious residents throughout East Java established roadside guards. Dozens of suspected ninjas were caught and some were tortured and killed. Using first-hand accounts, author Nicholas Herriman discusses these events with a detailed context and history, and he analyzes their development in terms of the interplay of national institutions and local culture and dynamics. Herriman has written a number of significant and award-winning anthropological publications on East Java. This book represents the culmination of researching witch-hunts for more than a decade. *** Librarians: ebook available (Series: Monash Asia) [Subject: Asian Studies, Anthropology, History]This book brings unique insight and prize-winning analysis to an extraordinary story - that of a witch-hunt and 'ninja' craze that swept a region of Java, Indonesia, in 1998. When family members, friends, and neighbors believed that one among them was a sorcerer, this suspicion would sometimes culminate in the death of the suspect. In 1998, these sporadic killings turned into an outbreak of violence. Muslim organizations attributed the escalation of these killings to political conspirators, alleging that squads of 'ninjas' were responsible. A paramilitary group (Banser NU) began preparing and training for an onslaught of further violence, while anxious residents throughout East Java established roadside guards. Dozens of suspected ninjas were caught and some were tortured and killed. Using first-hand accounts, author Nicholas Herriman discusses these events with a detailed context and history, and he analyzes their development in terms of the interplay of national institutions and local culture and dynamics. Herriman has written a number of significant and award-winning anthropological publications on East Java. This book represents the culmination of researching witch-hunts for more than a decade. *** Librarians: ebook available (Series: Monash Asia) [Subject: Asian Studies, Anthropology, History]