2019/01/17 |
INDONESIA: An Election of Identity Politics and Peace Offerings
Vice presidential nominee Ma’ruf Amin has notably offered an olive branch to former Jakarta mayor Ahok.
2017/10/22 |
Deep-rooted Problems with Democracy in Indonesia
Indonesians who tend towards secular forms of democratic politics should be aware, now more so than ever, of the historical and contemporary weakness of politically liberal (or social democratic) streams within Indonesian politics.
2017/10/02 |
Young, Female, Outspoken. A Political Star Is Born in Indonesia
A young, social media-savvy woman is challenging Indonesia's political old guard.
2017/05/24 |
Holy Places and Unholy Politics in Jakarta
A sideshow to the greater narrative of Ahok’s defeat and subsequent conviction for blasphemy, but it lifts a corner of the curtain that hides unexpected intricacies and paradoxes in Indonesia’s polarizing politics of religion.
2017/05/02 |
A Troubling Election in Jakarta
Anies Baswedan must find a way to tack back to the center and govern as a traditional Indonesian politician.
2017/04/28 |
How the Symbols of Indonesia’s Hardline Muslim Groups Reached the Pages of Marvel Comics
An Indonesian artist uploaded a sketch he made for X-Men Gold #1 and was quickly spotted symbols used by the Movement in Defense of Islam.
2017/04/27 |
Coldplay, Ahok and Fixing Jakarta
To make progress in Jakarta, it won’t be enough to simply say: 'I will fix you.'
2017/04/27 |
Jakarta: Inequality and the Poverty of Elite Pluralism
The victims of the politics of misdirection are vulnerable minorities.
2017/04/25 |
Jakarta Election Result Spells Trouble for Jokowi and Indonesia
Whether Anies and Sandiaga will govern along these divisive lines remains to be seen, but it clearly sets a poor standard for repairing the racial and religious fractures still bubbling just beneath the surface of the city.
2017/04/23 |
Reactionary Islamism in Indonesia
At the end of 2016, two large demonstrations organized by reactionary Muslim groups took place in Jakarta. The protesters called for the arrest of the Christian Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Purnama, an ethnic Chinese man commonly referred to as Ahok, whom they accused of blasphemy.
2017/04/18 |
Sectarian Schisms to Decide Jakarta’s Election?
If ethnic and religious sectarian politics push Ahok’s opponent over the line, it would bode poorly for the future of Indonesia’s pluralistic democracy.
2017/03/14 |
Jakarta Keeps Street-Level Integrity amid Indonesia's Colossal Kickback Scandal
Indonesia is in the grips of a kickback scandal that reaches into the pocket of almost every single Indonesian.
2017/02/21 |
China Ups Xinjiang Monitoring; Japan Kindergarten Racism; South Korean Airline Hack; Jakarta Protests
Asia Morning Update: A quick roundup of the most important news from around the region.
