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A draft bill on the elimination of sexual violence has become a battleground for pro-democracy movements against rising religious conservatism, write Anna Margret and Yolanda Pandjaitan.

Rizanna Rosemary and Ratri Ciptaningtyas examine an important factor rarely acknowledged as contributing to high rates of stunting in Indonesia – smoking.

What do the recent tensions between China and Indonesia north of the Natuna Islands tell us about the implications of China’s rise for Indonesia? Dr Dave McRae chats to Emirza Adi Syailendra in the first episode of Talking Indonesia for 2020.

2019 was a big year for Talking Indonesia. Here we present the 10 episodes that were most popular with podcast subscribers over the past year.

Indonesia at Melbourne will again be taking a break over the Christmas and New Year period. Here we list the most popular articles, plus a few of our favourites, from 2019. We look forward to seeing you again when we return in mid-January.

What forms of activism do the urban poor engage in? How has the government responded to their activism? Dr Dave McRae chats to Dr Ian Wilson about these issues and more in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

The Indonesian government has recently issued a decree on addressing “radicalism” among civil servants. Kate Grealy warns that vague definitions of radicalism mean there is a risk the policy could be used to silence the government’s opponents.

It was only a matter of time before Indonesia its own controversy around cakes and religious freedom. Dr Stewart Fenwick examines the incident and looks at why it prompted such a strong backlash.

What was Chinas role, if any, in the events of 1965? How did transnational ethnic ties and the daily practices of the ethnic Chinese influence state-to-state diplomacy at the time? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these issues and more with Dr Taomo Zhou in Talking Indonesia.

Olivia Tasevski examines the Dutch government’s limited efforts to acknowledge and provide compensation for abuses committed by its forces during the colonial period.

How do Indonesia’s often politically active media bosses interfere in the lives of journalists? What are the implications of Jokowi’s victory for the media? Dr Dirk Tomsa chats to Hellena Souisa in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

Plans are underway to reward provincial and district governments for protecting the environment – bringing potential for better conservation across Indonesia, write Erman A. Rahman and R. Alam Surya Putra

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

Dr Ariane Utomo examines the changing nature of Indonesian marriages, and how considerations of age gap, education, ethnicity and religion play a role in partner choice.

How did Jokowi go from being a strong supporter of the KPK to playing a major role in limiting its independence? Dr Dave McRae chats to KPK Commissioner Dr Laode Muhammad Syarif in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.