A confrontation between Indonesia’s top court and lawmakers over the outgoing president’s efforts to promote his son and ally in elections has triggered a ‘democratic emergency’.
Some powerful Indonesians want the 2024 elections postponed - potentially leading the country down a slippery slope that could threaten its hard-won democracy.
To understand the politics of “Bersiap”, we must refrain from the dichotomous framing of Netherlands/Indonesia as us/them that has plagued years of public debate on the two countries’ colonial past.
People’s acceptance of poverty is the biggest challenge to eradicating poverty in Yogyakarta and Banten, both on Indonesia’s most populated Java island.
While the riots in Jakarta have been brought under control, the deeper religious tensions that have polarised Indonesia will present a major challenge for Jokowi’s second term.