ARTICLES

25 Jun 2021

Indonesia’s Covid-19 Surge: Contradictions and Criticism

Max Lane

Indonesia’s latest Covid-19 surge has piled pressure on the Widodo government, which is under pressure to reconsider some form of lockdown to rein in the spread of the coronavirus.

23 Jun 2021

A Storm in a Teacup: The Politicisation of Hajj Cancellation in Indonesia

Syafiq Hasyim

The run-up to hajj 2021 saw the opponents of the Jokowi government opportunistically exploiting the issue to undermine the government. This reflects poorly on the quality of political debate in Indonesia today.

COVID-19 Indonesia Indonesian Politics Islam Islamist Groups

18 Jun 2021

Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong: The Rising Influence of Muslim Mainstream Groups

Syafiq Hasyim

The banning of FPI (Front Pembela Islam) in December 2020 may have reduced the incidence of vigilante actions in Indonesia. But this belies the fact that mainstream Muslim organisations have increasingly stepped in to uphold more conservative Islamic strictures, albeit through less confrontational ways.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics Islam Islamist Groups

16 Jun 2021

China’s Submarine Salvage Operation for Indonesia: A Double-edged Sword?

Ian Storey

China recently offered assistance to Indonesia in salvaging a stricken submarine. On the surface, the offer could be purely altruistic. But there could be more than meets the eye.

China China-Indonesia Relations Indonesia

15 Jun 2021

China and Indonesia: The Limits of Transactionalism

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

Indonesia’s transactional approach in its relations with China has its merits. But there are limits, given the need for Jakarta to maintain relationships with other regional powers.

China China-Indonesia Relations Indonesia

9 Jun 2021

Political Parties’ Manoeuvring after the Jokowi-Prabowo Rapprochement

Max Lane

The rapprochement of Jokowi and Prabowo has resulted in the unusual absence of a polarising rivalry among the main political parties. Nor have there been fundamental differences among parties over major policy questions. Instead, their manoeuvres have been concerned with positioning their choice of presidential candidates for the 2024 elections.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics

31 May 2021

Jakarta and Papua: Where There are No Risk-Free Choices

Max Lane

Recent events in Papua underscore the fact that there is no solution that is entirely free of risk for Jakarta. Instead, the choice is between separate sets of risks.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics terrorism