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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.

As former arch-rivals Jokowi and Prabowo team up, Airlangga Pribadi Kusman asks how different their positions were to begin with.

What have been the main advances in the rights of sexual and gender minorities since 1998? What are the main threats to these gains, and where are they coming from? Dr Jemma Purdey chats to Dede Oetomo in the latest episode of the Talking Indonesia podcast.

With Joko Widodo’s inauguration ceremony for his second term just days away, Dr Dirk Tomsa looks at the health of the polling industry following the highly polarised 2019 elections.

While the draft revised criminal code was widely criticised for its potential to lead to over-criminalisation, M Doddy Kusadrianto writes that it also contained progressive approaches to sentencing that could have helped tackle prison overcrowding.

On 9 October, a schizophrenic woman who brought her dog into a mosque will face trial for alleged blasphemy. Lawyer Barita Lumbanbatu takes a closer look at the case.

How does the government justify the increasing restrictions on freedom of expression that have occurred under President Joko Widodo? How do human rights activists respond? Dr Dirk Tomsa chats to Dr Ken Setiawan in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.