The president is not some kind of rockstar or talisman to be adored. But even in the current era, most Indonesians – not only the lay people, but also the educated – continue to worship the president as a cult. They love and adore the president as a father figure.

In recent years, many studies conducted by human rights organisations and think tanks have found civic space in Indonesia is shrinking, at least in the areas of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The authors' recent research into the experiences of Indonesian civil society organisations corroborates this view.

Political position, wealth, and access to and control over policy are all important in determining who is part of the political elite in Indonesia.

The co-opting of knowledge production by the state has a long history in Indonesia. The establishment of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is just the latest example.

Dr Robertus Robet writes that while the #ReformasiDikorupsi protests of 2019 are often considered to have failed, the movement has much greater significance for the future of civil society.

Scholars have said China had an "authoritarian advantage" in responding to SARS in 2002-2003. But Robertus Robet writes that in the case of Covid-19, there appears to be no such advantage.

As observers warn of Indonesia’s democratic retreat, Dr Robertus Robet questions the growing belief that authoritarianism is a shortcut to development

Dr Robertus Robet writes that a focus on personalities in Indonesian politics has led to institutional issues and historical economical and political power structures being ignored.