Description
Summary:Major intrastate conflicts, such as civil wars, and the resulting set-backs for economic and political development, have received increasing research attention in recent years. A growing literature has sought to investigate conditions that affect the probability of countries experiencing large-scale violence, in particular the likelihood of civil war. However, many developing countries are affected by high levels of communal and inter-communal conflict that does not take the form of a civil war, but nonetheless results in significant casualties, destruction of livelihoods and property. Pervasive and widespread local conflict is not only a barrier to development but in some cases threatens to escalate into larger incidents of unrest or even fully-fledged violent conflict. Countries undergoing difficult political and economic transitions appear especially vulnerable.This paper defines local conflict in Indonesia in terms of its incidence and impact measured within a locality, while the causes of local conflict may be endogenous or extra-local. The Indonesia statistical agency has adopted a definition of local conflict beyond some threshold of violence within a given locality in the past year, that may in turn have been associated with loss of life, serious injury, or property damage. Responses are compiled from village leaders and central government statistical agents posted at the subdistrict level.