Herbert Feith
Encyclopedia
Herbert Feith was an Australian academic and world leading scholar of Indonesia
n politics.
in 1938 at the age of 7. He came to Australia as a refugee in 1939 with his Austrian Jewish parents, one of a few thousand Jews granted humanitarian visas. He took an undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Melbourne
, working with Professor W. Macmahon Ball. After graduating, fascinated with Asia and inspired by Molly Bondan, he got a job in Jakarta in at the Indonesian Department of Information and worked from 1951-2 as an Indonesian civil servant on a local salary. This gave him contacts and language fluency. His Masters at Melbourne was completed in 1954.
Still in his twenties, he helped to negotiate an inter-governmental agreement whereby new Australian graduates could volunteer for service as Indonesian public servants. The Volunteer Graduate Scheme has expanded to become Australian Volunteers International
. Feith and his new wife, Betty, returned to Indonesia as the first volunteers under the scheme. Later he obtained a PhD scholarship at Cornell University
(1957–1960). His thesis later became a renowned book, The Decline of Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia.
After working as a post-doctoral fellow at the Australian National University
he was appointed to a lectureship in Politics at Monash University
in Melbourne, in the early 1960s. He helped found the Monash Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, which became one of the world's best institutes on the region. He was promoted to Professor in 1968. Unusually, he demoted himself 1974, to avoid bureaucracy associated with the Chair. He re-oriented from academic scholarship to more activist work, but continued teaching and research, taking early retirement from Monash in 1990.
In retirement he returned to Indonesia with Betty, teaching at Gadjah Mada University
in Jakarta and Andalas University
in West Sumatra, again on local salaries. A lifelong Melbourne cyclist, he died while pushing his bicycle across a train line near his small house in Glen Iris
, Melbourne. Feith was 71 years old, and had three children and several grandchildren.
He was disillusioned with the Suharto regime and its repression of democracy. Although relationships with some nationalist contacts became difficult, he supported West Papuan independence and assisted at the violent elections in East Timor in 1999. He was "a staunch defender of the right to self-determination of the East Timorese people; but rather than adopting a confrontational approach, he would offer face-saving solutions that would allow Indonesia to withdraw with dignity"
The Herb Feith Foundation undertakes a number of activities. The Herb Feith Chair at Monash was established in 2007, and is currently occupied by Greg Barton.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n politics.
Background
Born in Vienna, Austria in 1930, Feith witnessed oppression of the Jews and witnessed KristallnachtKristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
in 1938 at the age of 7. He came to Australia as a refugee in 1939 with his Austrian Jewish parents, one of a few thousand Jews granted humanitarian visas. He took an undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, working with Professor W. Macmahon Ball. After graduating, fascinated with Asia and inspired by Molly Bondan, he got a job in Jakarta in at the Indonesian Department of Information and worked from 1951-2 as an Indonesian civil servant on a local salary. This gave him contacts and language fluency. His Masters at Melbourne was completed in 1954.
Still in his twenties, he helped to negotiate an inter-governmental agreement whereby new Australian graduates could volunteer for service as Indonesian public servants. The Volunteer Graduate Scheme has expanded to become Australian Volunteers International
Australian Volunteers International
Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East...
. Feith and his new wife, Betty, returned to Indonesia as the first volunteers under the scheme. Later he obtained a PhD scholarship at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(1957–1960). His thesis later became a renowned book, The Decline of Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia.
After working as a post-doctoral fellow at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
he was appointed to a lectureship in Politics at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Melbourne, in the early 1960s. He helped found the Monash Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, which became one of the world's best institutes on the region. He was promoted to Professor in 1968. Unusually, he demoted himself 1974, to avoid bureaucracy associated with the Chair. He re-oriented from academic scholarship to more activist work, but continued teaching and research, taking early retirement from Monash in 1990.
In retirement he returned to Indonesia with Betty, teaching at Gadjah Mada University
Gadjah Mada University
The Gadjah Mada University is the largest and the oldest national university in Indonesia . founded on December 19, 1949; although the first lecture was given on 13 March 1946. The name was taken from the name of Majapahit's Prime Minister, Gajah Mada.UGM is located in Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa...
in Jakarta and Andalas University
Andalas University
Andalas University is the oldest university in Indonesia outside of Java. The university consists of eleven faculties, with most located at the main campus Limau Manis, 12 km from the center of Padang, West Sumatra. This campus occupies 5 km², at an elevation of about 100 m. The Faculty...
in West Sumatra, again on local salaries. A lifelong Melbourne cyclist, he died while pushing his bicycle across a train line near his small house in Glen Iris
Glen Iris
Glen Iris may refer to:*Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia*Glen Iris, Western Australia*Glen Iris Estate, owned by William Pryor Letchworth*Village at Glen Iris, Houston...
, Melbourne. Feith was 71 years old, and had three children and several grandchildren.
Recognition and Activism
Feith was guided by a strong sense of social justice, human rights and worked with international peace movements. In Melbourne he assisted Indonesian asylum seekers who faced persecution under the Suharto regime, and was active in a range of campaigns. With Amnesty International, he negotiated to free political prisoners in Indonesia. He practiced voluntary simplicity and was renowned as an inspiring lecturer and teacher.He was disillusioned with the Suharto regime and its repression of democracy. Although relationships with some nationalist contacts became difficult, he supported West Papuan independence and assisted at the violent elections in East Timor in 1999. He was "a staunch defender of the right to self-determination of the East Timorese people; but rather than adopting a confrontational approach, he would offer face-saving solutions that would allow Indonesia to withdraw with dignity"
The Herb Feith Foundation undertakes a number of activities. The Herb Feith Chair at Monash was established in 2007, and is currently occupied by Greg Barton.
Key Publications
- Feith, H. 1962. The Decline of Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
- Feith, H. & L. Castles. 1970. Indonesian Political Thinking, 1945-1965. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. (Indonesian trans. 1988)
- Feith, H. 1971. Asia's Flashpoint, 1971: Bangla Desh. Bedford Park, S.A.: Flinders University.
- Mortimer R., H. Feith and R. Tiffen (eds). 1984. Stubborn Survivors: Dissenting Essays On Peasants And Third World Development. Melbourne: Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash University.
- Scott D., H. Feith and P. Walsh. 1992. East Timor: Towards A Just Peace in The 1990s. Canberra, A.C.T.: Australian Council for Overseas Aid.
- Feith H., E. Baulch and P. Walsh. 1994. George J. Aditjondro, East Timor: an Indonesian intellectual speaks out. Deakin, A.C.T.: Australian Council for Overseas Aid.
- Feith, H. 1995. Soekarno militer dalam demokrasi terpimpin. Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar Harapan.
- Aspinall E., H. Feith & G. Van Klinken (eds) 1999. The Last Days of President Suharto. Clayton, Vic: Monash Asia Institute.
- Feith, H. 1999. Pemilihan umum 1955 di Indonesia. Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.