2001 年 1 巻 p. 186-211
Post-Suharto Indonesia is in the process of decentralization institutionally. The power and authority over personnel and budgets will be delegated to the autonomous areas, especially to the regencies (kabupaten) and the cities (kota), and every area has a legally accepted right to ask for the establishment of its own kabupaten, kota or province (propinsi).
The people in the Banten area, the western part of West Java province, began to ask for their own province after Suharto’s fall. In fact, Banten had wanted its own province since 1963, when President Sukarno was at the height of his political power. The demand was, however, continually, rejected by the central government, the West Java government, and the Siliwangi Military Division stationed in Banten.
In the Reformasi period, the autonomous movement became part of the democratization movement. Banten successfully rode the movement and finally gained provinicial status on 4 October 2000. The support of the central government and the Siliwangi Division overcame the West Java government’s opposition.
Many of the proponents and financial supporters of autonomy for Banten Province were not the newly rising elite but the old elite who had been locally influential and powerful since the New Order period. The New Order elite supported the creation of Banten Province and were thereby able to join the reformist group. They thereby retained the reins of political leadership in the newly-born Banten Province. The idea of old wine in a new bottle applies here in Banten and is also sometimes the case in other autonomous movements.