How do self-determination (SD) groups make demands for new provinces in an ethnically and religiously diverse country? The Indonesian government implemented a territorial autonomy (otonomi daerah) policy across Indonesia after a surge of political violence across its districts and provinces between 1998 to 2003. To prevent secessionist movements which occurred in Aceh and Papua, the government emphasized territorial autonomy policy at the district rather than provincial level. Yet, demands from groups in marginalized districts to create new autonomous provinces continues unabated. Using cross-case methods, this study finds that political competition among SD groups along ethnic lines intensifies during the new province initiation stage. They seek to assert control over the proposed province, favorably locate a new capital, and win the bids for the future executive office. Ultimately, I argue that the competition among elites from SD groups shapes the success of garnering broader support at the national and the provincial levels for the approval for a new province. A close analysis of the arguments of the different SD groups’ territorial demands also demonstrate that each of the cases have distinct features, which may counter the findings of more extensive studies of territorial autonomy. This paper contributes to our understanding of the ethnic roots of territorial policy in an ethnically divided unitary state.
