The recent visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Australia was considered a success, with evidence of a good rapport between Widodo and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The visit came in the wake of yet another tense period in the bilateral relationship, this time because of the discovery of apparently offensive materials related to Pancasila and Papua at an Australian military training centre and the unveiling of the Papuan Morning Star flag by trespassers at the Indonesian Consulate in Melbourne.

 

Why does this issue remain so sensitive and what is its history in the bilateral relationship? What is the situation in Papua today and what are the challenges facing Jokowi’s government? In this week’s podcast I explore these issues with Dr Richard Chauvel, an Honorary Fellow in the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne.

 

In 2017, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore and Dr Dirk Tomsa, from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

 

Photo by Michael Masters for the Australian Embassy Jakarta.

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