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ROOTS OF VIOLENCE IN INDONESIA: Contemporary Violence in Historical Perspective. Edited by Freek Colombijn and J. Thomas Lindblad. Leiden (The Netherlands): KITLV Press. 2002. vii, 348pp. Euro.27.50, paper. ISBN 90-6718-188-9.
Is it disappointing or surprising that a new collection of essays on violence in Indonesia lacks a contribution that singularly deals with Aceh, even as the Indonesian National Army (TNI) pursue their new "little war" in the region and countless civilians stand to perish? For the serious student of Indonesia, I think not. To be sure, although the TNI has committed atrocities in Aceh for more than two decades, it would be fatuous to blame the collection's editors for failing to forecast the latest escalation of hostilities. Moreover, essays in this book, originally written for a conference in late 2000, do touch on Aceh, while other observers have and will continue to examine the region's plight. Most important, the fact that thirteen illustrative chapters can grapple with the problem of violence without a piece on Aceh...