HASP Journals (Univ. Heidelberg)

Dixit, Kanak Manik

Hoffmann, Thomas

Schluß mit der Entwicklungshilfe!

Mertsch, Michael

Interview: "Gefangene im eigenen Land"

Das endgültige Aus für Kalkuttas Mann-Kraft-Maschine?

Krämer, Karl-Heinz

Meldungen

Fazl, Ahmed

Die ersten hundert Tage der Regierung sind vorbei

Missbach, Antje

123Book Reviews
Shira Sebban, Vietnam’s Modern Day Boat People: Bridging Borders for Free-
dom. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2024. 236 pages, 85 photos, ap-
pendices, notes, bibliography and index, $39.95. ISBN 9-781-4766-8537-3 (pb)
It has been more than a decade since Australia introduced its ruthless push-
back policies for maritime asylum seekers, which it in fact continues to enforce. 
Instead of deciding the asylum claims of intercepted boat people in Australia, 
more often than not maritime asylum seekers are returned to the countries 
from which they fled without being allowed to set foot on Australian soil. 
During these pushbacks little to no thought seems to be given to the safety or 
wellbeing of the passengers once they are handed over the authorities of their 
home country. Australian government representatives continue to justify this 
cruel approach by the need to combat the transnational people-smuggling in-
dustry.
While the general outcome for the mobility of asylum seekers has become 
clear – they are now stuck elsewhere and need to find safety in countries other 
than Australia – one often forgets about the tremendous misery endured by 
the individuals who have been targeted by Australia’s pushback policies. Through 
a meticulous retracing of one family’s flight from Vietnam, a country with a 
history of producing maritime refugees, and the nearly seven years’ journey 
that followed, Shira Sebban provides a much-needed account of the human 
downside of Australia’s “success” in turning away asylum seekers. More im-
portantly, perhaps, the fact that the family’s escape was organised not by any 
transnational operating criminal network but by the passengers themselves, 
after selling everything they ever owned, also undercuts Australia’s claim to be 
targeting the people smuggling industry.
Vietnam’s Modern Day Boat People is a vigilantly researched account of 
what happened to Mrs. Loan, her husband and their four children, who set 
out in March 2015 by boat to seek asylum but were intercepted by Australian 
forces and returned to Vietnam against their will. The initial reasons for leaving 
Vietnam had been threefold, as Catholics Mrs. Loan and her family face ongoing 
discrimination, but maybe more importantly, Mrs. Loan had lost a piece of land 
she owned previously due to state confiscation that is not uncommon in Viet-
nam. Having lost an important means of making a living due the loss of land, 
the economic situation of the family got worse when her husband who worked 
as a fisherman was attacked and robbed by Chinese naval forces after fishing 
in the highly disputed area of the Spratley and Paracel Islands, in the South 
Chinese Sea. Despite having allegedly been promised no retribution, the par-
ents were both arrested and convicted for their attempt to escape from Vietnam. 
The threatened imprisonment of Mrs. Loan left her four children at risk of being 
sent to an orphanage for years to come.
124 Book Reviews
Alerted by a newspaper article about the family’s failed escape, Shira Sebban, 
a middle-aged women from Sydney who is, herself, the descendant of Jewish 
refugees, felt an urge to intervene. In a remarkably short time, she managed to 
set up a system of support for the family in Vietnam and their lawyer, as well 
as for some other Vietnamese asylum seekers whom the Australian border 
forces had returned to Vietnam around the same time. In this regard, the book 
is a convincing testament to civil engagement, crowd funding and the power 
of solidarity across borders. Yet, the story doesn’t end there. 
With her prison sentenced temporarily postponed in order to care for her 
children, Mrs. Loan undertakes a second attempt to escape from Vietnam. 
After a perilous journey, the family lands in Indonesia, where they are – like 
many before them – detained for an extended period in a prison-like detention 
centre. Unlike many other asylum seekers in Indonesia, however, the Vietnamese 
family is accorded refugee status by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Ja-
karta in record time. Needless to say, the fact that Mrs. Loan and her family 
were found to be refugees who could not be deported to Vietnam, due to their 
well- founded fears, shows how superficial the procedure conducted by the 
Australian authorities during the interception at sea must have been.
Given that integration into the local society is not an option for refugees in 
Indonesia as Indonesia does not allow this, their only hope was resettlement 
to a third country. In light of the massive global needs for resettlement, the 
chances of that happening in the regular UNHCR fashion are, however, ex-
tremely low, as there is no right in principle to resettlement. But with the help 
of the author and many other volunteers, particularly many former Vietnamese 
boat people who are now part of the global Vietnamese diaspora, Mrs. Loan’s 
family found a way to embark on privately sponsored resettlement. Only a 
few countries in the Global North, such as Australia and Canada, began offer-
ing this alternative pathway a few years ago, yet massive funds are required to 
sponsor a whole family. Given that sponsoring refugees to go to Australia is 
much more expensive, the Mrs. Loan’s family opted to try their luck with the 
Canadian immigration authorities. 
Resettlement processes are never fast, even in the best of cases, but for Mrs. 
Loan’s family the waiting took even longer due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 
which delayed processing and departure. More than six years after their initial 
attempt to flee from Vietnam and the many hold-ups and setbacks in Indonesia, 
the family finally set off for a new chapter in their lives in Canada in mid-2022. 
Considering the enormous dedication of Shira Sebban and many others to this 
family, the author’s summary remark in the postscript of the book to read 
hardly comes as a surprise: “it may take a village to raise a child, but in our 
experience, it takes a global network to assist a refugee” (p. 157).
Vietnam’s Modern Day Boat People is not a typical academic account of 
refugees that seeks to interpret people’s trajectories through theoretical lenses, 
125Book Reviews
but is rather a neat and well-researched case study of Mrs. Loan’s escape from 
Vietnam and the many consequences this had for her family and extended social 
networks back in Vietnam. In an extraordinarily fashion, Sebban manages to 
draw the reader into the family’s story, using numerous first-hand sources, 
such as family portraits, translated official court documents and long quotes 
from the protagonists interviewed. For those who want to learn more, the 
author has also compiled a helpful reading list, which makes the book a very 
useful resource for students and activists alike. 
Antje Missbach
Daniel Fuchs / Sascha Klotzbücher / Andrea Riemenschnitter / Lena 
Springer / Felix Wemheuer (eds), Die Zukunft mit China denken. Vienna / 
Berlin: Mandelbaum-Verlag, 2023. 384 pages, €28.00. ISBN 9-783-9913-6026-1
Few academics have been honoured with a commemorative volume like the 
one presented here. It originated from a conference in Vienna in 2020 cele-
brating the emeritus status of Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, professor of Si-
nology and current programme director for China at the Vienna think tank 
“Center for Strategic Analysis”. As Daniel Fuchs and Felix Wemheuer, two 
of the editors, state in their introduction, this volume is indeed not a Kessel 
Buntes (“Colourful Pot”, p. 15) of contributions, but rather resembles a the-
matic issue, where former students and colleagues, along with the honoree 
herself, ponder a topic that has hitherto scarcely been in the focus of China 
research: the future.
With the title Die Zukunft mit China denken (Thinking the Future with 
China), the editors indirectly reference the core thesis of Susanne Weigelin- 
Schwiedrzik’s recently published book China und die Neuordnung der Welt 
(China and the Reordering of the World, Vienna: Brandstätter, 2023), in which 
she calls for recognising China as a world power and systematically incor-
porating the country into the multipolar world. The anthology achieves more 
than its title promises: it not only shows how to think about the future with 
China, but also aims to outline different Chinese visions of the future from 
history and the present.
In the introduction, Fuchs and Wemheuer reflect on the transformation of 
Western perceptions of China and address the increasingly authoritarian de-
velopment of China since Xi Jinping’s assumption of office. The increasing 
confrontation between China and the “West” is a consequence both of Western 
perceptions of threat and the Chinese self-perception of exceptionalism (p. 14). 


English

Shira Sebban: Vietnam’s Modern Day Boat People: Bridging Borders for Freedom

Messingschlager, Stefan

Daniel Fuchs / Sascha Klotzbücher / Andrea Riemenschnitter / Lena Springer / Felix Wemheuer (eds): Die Zukunft mit China denken: [Thinking the Future with China]

Mayasari-Hoffert, Silvia

291Book Reviews
contributed to the regression of Indonesian democracy (p. 243). It will also be 
important to observe post-2024 election developments to see if the management 
patterns of coalitional presidentialism will be replicated by the new president, 
or if there will be an even stronger dominance of presidential power. This raises 
concerns about the future of Indonesian democracy, as the issue of stabilising 
presidential power could further weaken the checks and balances essential to 
a democratic system. This will likely be a significant topic for future studies on 
presidentialism.
The Coalitions Presidents Make is recommended as an essential reference 
for diplomats, journalists, academics and consultants seeking a comprehensive 
understanding of an important phenomenon of presidentialism in many coun-
tries, especially the unique case of contemporary Indonesia.
Aditya Perdana
Charlotte Setijadi, Memories of Unbelonging: Ethnic Chinese Identity Politics 
in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Honolulu: Hawai´i University Press, 2023. 322 pages, 
$68.00. ISBN 9780824894054
In Indonesia in May 1998 amidst a severe economic crisis and political turmoil, 
anti-Chinese riots erupted, mainly in Jakarta, Medan and Surakarta, marked 
by intense violence, looting and arson targeting the ethnic Chinese communities. 
Over a thousand people were killed, and countless Chinese-owned businesses 
and properties were destroyed. Reports of severe human rights abuses further 
highlighted the brutality of the events. Memories of Unbelonging is based on 
field research conducted primarily in Jakarta from 2007 to 2019 and discusses 
the politics of ethnic identity construction following the discrimination that 
peaked during the anti-Chinese riots. Guided by Maurice Halbwachs’s theory 
of collective memory and Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the habitus, the book 
provides insight into how collective memory plays a role in shaping identity. 
The author, Charlotte Setijadi, states that the collective trauma of anti- Chinese 
discrimination is still firmly entrenched even after the end of Suharto’s New 
Order era (1966–1998), with the analysis focusing on the ways Chinese Indo-
nesians “remember their collective past, negotiate their identities, establish 
boundaries, and inform their political participation” (p. 6). 
Setijadi starts her book with a concise history of Chinese Indonesians from 
the colonial period to the much-publicised rise and fall of Ahok, the first ethnic 
Chinese governor of Jakarta, whose tenure lasted from 2014 to 2017. Opening 
with an interview with an ethnic Chinese woman who maintains distrust of 
the “non-Chinese” (indigenous Indonesians), this foreshadowing of continuing 
292 Book Reviews
ethnic tensions sets the tone of the following chapters. The author then examines 
the politics of commemorating the riots’ victims alongside the narratives of 
collective trauma in Jakarta, the epicentre of the riots. Noting that accounts of 
anti-Chinese attacks relayed by the respondents cannot be officially verified, 
the author underlines that “the truth is almost irrelevant for the processes of 
remembering” (p. 45) and concludes that wariness still lurks in the capital’s 
Chinatown districts, which were badly looted during the unrest.
The next two chapters centre on middle-to-upper-class ethnic Chinese families 
and their habitus. First, the author delves into the link between collective memo ry 
and the construction of ethnic boundaries by observing an upper-middle-class 
family in Kelapa Gading, an area with upscale gated communities. She argues 
that families in these enclaves, which remained unscathed during the riots, have 
nevertheless segregated themselves behind steel gates as a precaution against 
possible racial attacks from non-Chinese lower classes, but still recruit the latter 
as hired help. Observing complex dynamics of racialised inclusion and exclu-
sion exercised by affluent families, she concludes that these dynamics, fuelled 
by the collective memory of racial trauma, maintain the gap between the Chinese 
and non-Chinese. Setijadi then examines educational institutions and presents 
interviews with families who are wary of getting too close to non-Chinese. 
Echoing the findings in the previous chapter, she observes that middle-to-upper- 
class parents send their children to private Christian schools, gated like their 
houses, for the same reasons and argues that “[t]his segregation has also had 
the effect of perpetuating mutually negative stereotypes between the Chinese 
and non-Chinese” (pp. 97–98).
The author proceeds to discuss how Chinese Indonesian artists, most of 
whom were teenagers or young adults in 1998 and in some cases went on to 
study abroad (thus representing the middle-to-upper classes discussed earlier), 
express their ethnic identity through the arts. Their artworks strengthen the 
findings of the preceding chapters that revolve around trauma. For example, 
Tintin Wulia’s 2008 Great Wallpaper mural series in Brisbane focuses on bu-
reaucratic discrimination by depicting the SBKRI (Certificate of Citizenship), 
a document that complements the national ID card and that, under Suharto’s 
regime, was required only from ethnic Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, Edita At-
maja’s artwork consists of a gate-like studio that offers visitors a tattoo of a 
steel gate that is supposed to offer protection for the bearer, with the artist 
commenting that “a very common symbol of protection that most Chinese 
Indonesians could relate to is the common steel gate” (p. 152). 
The last two chapters centre on the persistent ethnic tensions that still lurk 
below the surface. The author begins Chapter 5 by discussing the increasing 
political participation of Chinese Indonesians. She points out, however, how 
alarming it is that anti-Chinese sentiments can be mobilised at any time, as 
shown in the case of the first ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta, Ahok, whose 
293Book Reviews
fall from governorship and incarceration could be attributed to the mobilisation 
of non-Chinese Muslims against him. Chapter 6 examines the position of Chi-
nese Indonesian business elites toward China. According to the author, the old 
dynamics still persist, with suspicions regarding the loyalties of ethnic Chinese 
tycoons with strong connections to China, while at the same time other Chi-
nese continue to worry about being targets of angry mobs. Setijadi accordingly 
concludes that “collective trauma and victimhood will continue to be central 
elements in how Chinese Indonesians define themselves” (p. 227).
A notable strength of the book is that, through detailed interviews with 
Chinese Indonesians, readers can intimately explore the collective trauma re-
sulting from decades-long discrimination. The in-depth historical background 
provided in every chapter is commendable and useful for orienting readers. 
Most of the points the author makes in the case study are valid, though the 
conclusion tends towards generalisation. Setijadi, while pointing out that there 
are different kinds of habitus among different ethnic Chinese communities, 
deems them beyond the scope of the study and maintains that “the centrality 
of Jakarta in Indonesia’s national politics means that the Chinese political 
agenda that is negotiated and played out in the capital also has impacts on the 
lives of the Chinese in many other parts of the country” (p. 35). It should be 
noted, however, that of the group’s national population of 2.8 million people 
(according to the 2010 census), nearly half are spread across Java. Except for 
those living in Surakarta, they were not affected in the same way by the 1998 
riots as those in Jakarta. Lower-to-middle-class Chinese Indonesians who live 
outside gated communities also account for a considerable portion of the ethnic 
group. Nevertheless, this book is a highly detailed study of Chinese Indonesians 
in the selected habitus, namely middle-to-upper-class ethnic Chinese communities 
in the capital. It represents a pivotal first step in the memory study of Chinese 
Indonesians and can become a valuable addition to the scholarly literature on 
this demographic.
Silvia Mayasari-Hoffert


Charlotte Setijadi: Memories of Unbelonging: Ethnic Chinese Identity Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia

Mhaskar, Sumeet

413Book Reviews
plicated the experiences of Asians in the Americas. For instance, in Chapters 2 
and 4, the lives of Asian slaves seem to be shaped more by their condition of 
enslavement than by their place of origin. I would appreciate further insights 
into how the divisions created by slavery affected the formation of the racial 
categories. Nevertheless, book offers a valuable contribution to our under-
standing of the lived experiences of Asians who crossed the Pacific in the early 
modern period. Readers interested in slavery, immigration and racial formation 
– both historically and in contemporary contexts – will undoubtedly find this 
work enlightening and thought-provoking.
Kaori Mizukami 
Sukhadeo Thorat / S. Madheswaran / B. P. Vani, Schedul ed Castes in the 
Indian Labour Market: Employment Discrimination and Its Impact on Poverty. 
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023. 340 pages, $120.00. ISBN 978-0-1988-
7225-2
The role of social identities in influencing occupational choice has been the sub-
ject of research worldwide. In Western labour markets, contributors to the edited 
volume by Anthony Heath and Sin Yi Cheung1 have demonstrated that most 
second (and later) generations of ethnic minorities (of non-European descent) 
experience “ethnic penalties”. That is, ethnic minorities suffer a disadvantage 
in terms of social networks, which subsequently contributes to their inability 
to secure salaried employment. Such an account has been lacking in the Indian 
context, which is widely known for its historical social inequality based on the 
caste system. The book under review, Scheduled Castes in the Indian Labour 
Market: Employment, Discrimination and its Impact on Poverty, is a timely 
intervention. It engages in theoretical debates on discrimination with academic 
rigour and intellectual depth and examines macro-level empirical trends in India, 
with a particular focus on the scheduled castes (SCs) or untouchables vis-à-vis 
the upper castes. Moreover, as the authors themselves note, this is probably 
the first study to estimate “the impact of employment and wage discrimination 
on the income and poverty of the SCs” (p. 271).
In its eleven comprehensive chapters, the book provides a thorough theoretical 
and empirical examination of discriminatory practices in the labour market and 
their impact on employment, wages, occupational choice and poverty. The two 
chapters that follow the introductory chapter provide a detailed review of the 
1 Anthony Heath / Sin Yi Cheung: The Comparative Study of Ethnic Minority Disadvantage. In: Anthony 
Heath / Sin Yi Cheung / S. N. Smith / B. Academy (eds): Unequal Chances: Ethnic. Minorities in Western 
Labour Markets. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, pp. 1–44.
414 Book Reviews
theories that deal with the “sources of discrimination, motives behind discrimi-
nation, labour market conditions which make it possible to discriminate, conse-
quences of labour market discrimination on [the] income of the discriminated 
groups, and policies to overcome discrimination” (p. 33). Theories suggest that 
personal characteristics (caste, race, gender and religion) that are unrelated to 
an individual’s productivity are also valued in the market. Furthermore, societal 
norms and beliefs, which are never determined by objective criteria, also play a 
crucial role in hiring and determining wages. In the US context, Black theorist 
William Darity has argued that it is essential to examine the factors that lead to 
“the emergence of norms, discriminatory or secular” (p. 42). The norms of racial 
identity, Darity argues, are motivated by “economic gains to those who practice 
racial discrimination” (p. 42).
The authors then discuss the research of scholars such as George Akerlof, 
Wilbur Scoville, Deepak Lal and B.R. Ambedkar on theories of caste and econom-
ics. Unlike in the Western context, religious texts in India provide justification 
for caste-based beliefs and prejudices. One of the major highlights of this book 
is the discussion of Ambedkar’s ideas on caste and economy, which have been 
largely ignored, especially by economists. Ambedkar argued that Hindu reli-
gious texts converted caste norms into legal codes and defined and fixed the 
occupations of castes (groups), rendering them hereditary and permanent from 
birth. Penalties were imposed for violations, and rewards were given for ad-
herence to caste norms. The idea of “graded inequality” is central to the as-
signment of occupations and property rights to each caste, and to the entitle-
ments they enjoy (pp. 52–54). Graded inequality emphasises that groups are 
“[not] only different but unequal in status, one standing above the other” (p. 53). 
The untouchables occupied the lowest position in the caste hierarchy, with no 
rights at all. Untouchables were denied the right to education, employment (except 
manual labour) and property (land and enterprises). 
Has the position of untouchables changed since 1950, when India adopted 
a constitution based on liberal democratic principles? The authors address this 
question in the empirical chapters, using unit-level data from the National Sam-
ple Survey Organisation (NSSO), the Employment and Unemployment Surveys 
(EUS) of 2004–2005 and the Periodic Labour Force Survey of 2017–2018 (pp. 
88–89). The econometric exercise demonstrates that when SC’s exhibit similar 
attributes such as “age, education, number of dependents, job and social secu-
rity”, their employment chances are “less compared to equally-placed higher- 
caste individuals” (p. 265). As a result, higher castes dominate occupations such 
as legislators, senior officials and managers, professionals, technicians and asso-
ciate professionals, and clerks. In contrast, SCs are concentrated as “elemen-
tary occupations, plant and machine operators, assemblers, craft and related 
trade workers, service workers, and shop and market sales workers” (p. 242). 
415Book Reviews
The authors find graded inequality in wage earnings across the caste groups. 
At the all-India level, the average real daily wage in 2017–2018 was ₹169. How-
ever, it was ₹142 for the untouchable regular salaried workers, followed by 
₹163 for Other Backward Castes (OBC) and ₹202 for upper castes (p. 187). 
Thus, “wages reduce as we go down the caste hierarchy from higher castes to 
OBC and further down to the SC, who are at the bottom of the caste ladder” 
(p. 190). Of course, there are variations – irrespective of wage quantiles, “[the] 
caste-based wage gap, as well as discrimination, [is] lower in the public sector” 
(p. 239). In the public sector, the wage gap attributable to discrimination is 
more significant at lower levels, which the authors attribute to recruitment by 
private agencies (p. 299). In contrast, the wage gap attributable to discrimination 
in the private sector is more pronounced in higher income groups, suggesting 
that “SC employees face caste-related constraints in moving to higher positions” 
(p. 285). This means that despite having similar qualifications to the higher 
castes, SCs face a “ceiling” (p. 285). The persistence of discrimination is a cause 
for concern, given that the vast majority of India’s workforce is employed in the 
private sector.  
While SCs exhibit higher levels of unemployment than upper castes and OBCs, 
the gap is exceptionally high at the higher secondary and graduate levels (p. 150). 
Furthermore, SCs are more likely to experience open discrimination and under-
employment than any other group in Hindu society (p. 150). The study shows 
that discrimination in hiring, wages and choice of occupation has a direct im-
pact on per capita consumption expenditure. This is highest for the higher castes 
and decreases significantly as one moves down the caste hierarchy. As for poverty, 
“it increases as we move down in the caste hierarchy from higher castes to middle 
castes, the OBC, and to the SC” (p. 281).
The study demonstrates that the legacy of the caste system continues to haunt 
the SCs, who face discrimination in employment, occupational choice and wages. 
To correct the imbalances, the authors recommend state interventions: improv-
ing higher education opportunities for SCs, allocating land to SCs, affirmative 
action in the private sector and transparency and quotas in contractual jobs in 
the public sector. 
The book is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the role 
of caste in shaping livelihood outcomes. However, it has one limitation: it does 
not engage with the extensive literature on caste, labour market discrimination 
and occupational choice produced by sociologists, anthropologists and politi-
cal scientists. Nevertheless, the book is extremely useful for social scientists, 
advocacy groups, public policy practitioners and policy makers interested in 
understanding the contemporary workings of caste-based inequalities in soci-
ety, the economy and politics. 
Sumeet Mhaskar


Sukhadeo Thorat / S. Madheswaran / B. P. Vani: Scheduled Castes in the Indian Labour Market: Employment Discrimination and Its Impact on Poverty

Seib, Roland

464 Book Reviews
R. J. May, State and Society in Papua New Guinea, 2001–2021. (Pacific Affairs 
Series). Canberra: Australian National University Press, 2022. 321 pages, $ 60.00. 
ISBN 9-781-7604-6520-9 (print on demand), ISBN 9-781-7604-6521-6 (e-book, 
open access)
The present volume – a collection of 14 papers written between 2001 and 2021, 
most published previously – addresses the political and social development of 
the South Pacific island state of Papua New Guinea since the turn of the millen-
nium. Author Ron James May is emeritus fellow of Australian National Uni-
versity in Canberra and one of the most renowned experts on the country. The 
book is an update of May’s volume State and Society in Papua New Guinea. 
The First Twenty-Five Years, published in 2001 and reprinted in 2004, which 
brings together 18 papers from 1971 to 2000; it was reviewed by this author in 
this journal in 2002.
The foreword by Sir Julius Chan, one of Papua New Guinea’s longest-serving 
parliamentarians, who was twice prime minister and is currently the governor 
of the province New Ireland, is followed by an introduction that summarises 
the country’s challenges. Whereas political-parliamentary continuity and the 
integrity of the justice system are viewed favourably, progress in terms of the 
country’s development is found to be lacking. The Human Development Index 
has been in decline since 2000. The state’s revenues are falling and its debt is 
growing. Numerous major mining projects notwithstanding, corresponding im-
provements in public services, especially the health sector, are not discernible. 
The country’s infrastructure is deteriorating.
The divide between a small class of rich entrepreneurs and the majority of 
the mostly rural population has become more pronounced, which will continue 
to promote crime. Inter-ethnic and domestic violence, as well as violence asso-
ciated with accusations of sorcery, remain high. The integrity of the national 
parliamentary elections is in doubt because of irregularities in electoral admin-
istration, vote-buying and ethnic violence, especially in the highlands. Politics 
is dominated by the lawmakers’ short-term business interests. May considers 
the greatest challenge to be the way parliament is handling the successful in-
dependence referendum on the island of Bougainville, which was previously 
wracked by civil war. Overall, processes of forming a national identity are still 
in their infancy. 
Several papers in the volume address the brief attempt to re-establish state 
institutions with a view to enhancing political stability and integrity from 1999 
on, which was closely linked to the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political 
Parties and Candidates and the shift from the first-past-the-post electoral system 
to one of limited preferential voting. The changes to the law, some of which 
the Supreme Court overruled, were intended to strengthen the otherwise mean-
ingless political parties, thwart MPs’ repeated “party hopping”, and reduce the 
465Book Reviews
continuously increasing number of candidates for parliament, but were ulti-
mately unsuccessful. To this day, women are massively underrepresented in the 
political sphere. Other articles look back at the discussion about weak states 
and analyse the political developments up to the “political coup”, the 2011 
election in which longstanding prime minister Sir Michael Somare was ousted. 
Two other papers outline the policies of his successors Peter O’Neill and James 
Marape through 2021. 
Further topics discussed include “clan voting” in the parliamentary elections 
in a constituency in East Sepik Province, language policy (with more than 850 
separate languages, Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country 
on Earth), strategies for researching endemic corruption, foreign policy as well 
as external and internal security, religious fundamentalism (which resulted in 
the establishment of an embassy in Jerusalem in September 2023) and the sus-
tainability of economic growth. The volume concludes with a bibliography 
and an index. Papua New Guinea will celebrate its golden anniversary as a 
sovereign state in September 2025. May’s two publications provide an excellent 
overview of the developments and problems that have faced the young state 
for the almost five decades of its independence. Papua New Guinea still remains 
a weakly established state confronted by strong local ethnic societies. As far as 
reforms in the political sphere and public administration are concerned, May’s 
assessment from 2001 still applies: What is needed “is less institutional reform 
than a fundamental shift in patterns of political behaviour” (p. 16). 
Roland Seib


R. J. May: State and Society in Papua New Guinea, 2001–2021

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