Indonesian Politics

Indonesia’s new criminal code turns representatives into rulers

The new law isn’t the final nail in the coffin for democracy, but it’s a hammer for anyone who wants to drive one in.

Can Indonesia clean up political pollution along the Citarum River?

River pollution is not only a result of overwhelming waste, but a problem of resource capture across all levels of governance.

The Kanjuruhan catastrophe: A mirror of Indonesia’s tumultuous football politics

Commercialisation and politicisation of football establishes a pseudo-modern football with corrupt mismanagement.

The Yogyakartan Surrealism of Jokowi

Like the Yogyakartan surrealist, Jokowi’s leadership offers a dreamscape, relying much on the promise of the future.

Time to shift our focus on Indonesian communist studies?

Political actors' roles in regenerating the spectre of communism deserve closer attention.

“Perempuan Merdeka” women’s art exhibition at the 39th Indonesia Update

The artists’ playful images expose societal norms and offer alternatives to understanding women’s position in society

Watch: Hari Tani Nasional, a forum on the future of rural Indonesia

Critical Indonesian thinkers reflect on a simple question: What are the most important policy problems in rural Indonesia, and what can researchers do about them?

NBSEAS: Nicole Curato talks to Baogang He about “Deliberative Democracy in Asia”

Professor He draws on a range of case studies in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and reflects on the wider trend of deliberative democratization in Asia and beyond.

A new capital city for who? Central-local tensions in Indonesia

A lack of coordination between state actors and a lack of acknowledgment between state and society undermines the new capital project.

Women’s rights & gender equality in Indonesia: watch now

Marking International Human Rights Day in 2021, this discussion on women’s rights and gender equality in Indonesia examined the achievements and challenges equality in political, economic and social fields.

The price for maintaining Indonesia’s palm oil industry hegemony

Facing the cooking oil crisis seriously means untangling the complex web that maintains the hegemony of palm oil oligarchy.

Counter-polarisation and political expediency

...there are grounds for doubting that counter-polarisation is the real reason for many recent political manoeuvres.

The Macbethian tragedy of Indonesian democracy

While observers might be surprised that Jokowi harboured despotic tendencies, never had he hid his stripes...The essence of the tragedy is the circularity of a flawed system and bad actors.

Symptoms of anti-Intellectualism in Indonesian democracy

Returning pressure onto public intellectuals, as Luhut did, only increases the public’s support for the dissenters

What are the regional security implications of Indonesia’s capital relocation?

Relocation has some implications for not only military and defence issues, but also economic and environmental security.

Food availability, Indonesia’s commodity balance and the trap of Malthusian Optimism

A recent research paper casts doubt on the government’s ability to accurately determine available supplies.

A new Indonesian capital city: conflict pending

Poor consultation with local residents and traditional land owners, elite links and opaque deals with concession holders leave the new capital project vulnerable.

The dynamics of political contestation within Nahdlatul Ulama’s 34th Muktamar

NU’s dependence on political influence will make it difficult to maintain neutrality and critique social and political problems.

Erasing the untouchables: the Indonesian way

For many years the Indonesian Government seemed determined to crush the villainy. That resolve is now being questioned.

Human rights in the age of Southeast Asian extractivism

Analysing the development of Filipino, Thai and Indonesian laws and policies for the achievement of the human right to a healthy environment.

In Indonesia, Sumatra’s coal brings more harm than good

The coal sector is strongly linked to national and regional oligarchs, and coal businesses often play a role as financiers for political candidates.

Indonesia’s geopolitical future needs robust climate action

Equipping activism with a geopolitical angle might prove useful, giving environmentalism a base in foreign policy and economic nationalism.

Pertanyakan niat: pemerintah Indonesia tak berkomitmen hapuskan kekerasan seksual

Dengan dihilangkannya kata ‘penghapusan’ dari RUU kekerasan seksual, bangsa tidak lagi berusaha untuk menghentikan kekerasan seksual...

Video: Mental health in Indonesia: then, now and things to come

In this webinar recording, meet extraordinary individuals sharing their experiences in mental health in Indonesia.