This article discusses the ambiguous role of religiously-marked civil society organisations during the Christian-Muslim communal violence in Maluku, eastern Indonesia, from approximately 1999 to 2004. During the Maluku violence, some social groups supported peace and reconciliation, while others were major backers for the collective conflict. Using Maluku as the primary case study, this article aims to re-examine a well-established Western concept of civil society that puts emphasis on three key features, as follows. First, the concept focuses on the constructive role of civil society, while ignoring its destructive contribution in society. Second, the concept focuses on formal organisations, while neglecting informal associations, networks and neighbourhoods. And third, the concept excludes the contributions of government and state institutions in the shape—and influence of—civil society organisations. The article also examines the growing theme on “alternative forms” of civil society. It studies the plurality of civil societies and investigates that form of civil society association that might help contribute to civic coexistence and which type that encourages social conflict.

中文翻译：

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公民社会的悖论

本文讨论了大约 1999 年至 2004 年印度尼西亚东部马鲁古基督教穆斯林社区暴力事件中带有宗教标志的民间社会组织的模糊作用。 在马鲁古暴力事件期间，一些社会团体支持和平与和解，而另一些则是主要支持者对于集体冲突。本文以马鲁古作为主要案例研究，旨在重新审视西方公认的公民社会概念，该概念强调以下三个关键特征。首先，这一概念侧重于公民社会的建设性作用，而忽视了其对社会的破坏性贡献。其次，该概念侧重于正式组织，而忽视了非正式协会、网络和社区。第三，该概念不包括政府和国家机构对民间社会组织的形式和影响的贡献。这篇文章还考察了关于公民社会“替代形式”的日益增长的主题。它研究公民社会的多元化，并调查可能有助于促进公民共存的公民社会协会形式以及鼓励社会冲突的类型。