Posted in: Analysis

From founder to prisoner: is Nadiem's verdict the end of regulatory trust?

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No one should be surprised if, slowly but surely, Indonesia keeps sliding off the shortlists of major allocators - not because its market has shrunk, but because its institutions have stopped underwriting it. 

What the New Order's failed clove monopoly tells us about Prabowo's single-door export policy

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On 20 May 2026, addressing a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto announced that exports of strategic natural resource commodities -  palm oil, coal, and ferroalloys - would now be handled through a single door: the state-owned enterprise PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI).  

A China-Russia showdown? New great power tensions brewing in Indonesia’s North Natuna Sea

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The recent developments in the North Natuna Sea are very important, given recent geopolitical shifts that have severely disrupted the global economy. Energy self-reliance has become increasingly vital due to the Hormuz crisis, so how Indonesia deals with the Tuna Block will inevitably send geopolitical signals about its positioning as regards the great powers.

Is Jakarta turning into Gotham? How viral crime panics become pretext for expanding military visibility

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Moments of crime anxiety in Indonesia routinely trigger authoritarian nostalgia for Petrus‑style ‘shock therapy’. This is a reference to the early‑1980s ‘mysterious shootings’ campaign in which security forces carried out extrajudicial killings of thousands of alleged criminals as a projection of state authority.

Whitewashing military responsibility: disappointing verdicts in Andrie Yunus acid attack trial

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In our view, military courts should not have jurisdiction to try members of the military and security forces for human rights violations. Military courts in Indonesia often lack the impartiality, independence, and transparency required under international legal standards for a fair trial. This case is a perfect example of the problem.

'Pig Feast': a test case for alternative media, Papua, and Indonesian democracy

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After being screened offline at nearly 2,000 locations across Indonesia and abroad, the documentary Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time (Pesta Babi: Kolonialisme di Zaman Kita) was officially released online on May 22. Within just 14 days of release, Pig Feast had already been viewed more than 13 million times on the YouTube channel JubiTV.

How Prabowo is expanding the military’s civilian role as an instrument of presidential rule

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Under the Prabowo administration, the Indonesian military is becoming increasingly embedded in civilian policy implementation under direct presidential control.

Courtroom or comedy? Acid attack trial suggests renewed military impunity    

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The trial of Andrie Yunus’ acid attackers has demonstrated that the military remains a strong political force, similar to what it was before reforms began in 1998, but with a different level of visibility.

Academic freedom in peril as Indonesian campuses face deepening state incursions

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Indonesia does not need universities that merely repeat government policies and adopt its priorities. It needs universities that can examine and criticise them - and warn society when public power begins to exceed its proper limits.

Indonesia at Melbourne is supported by:

Melbourne Law School Asia Institute Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society Indonesia Forum Faculty of Arts Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative

Indonesia at Melbourne

Room 726, Level 7, 185 Pelham St,
The University of Melbourne
Parkville 3010 VIC Australia

Phone: +61 3 83448581

Email:  indo-at-melb@unimelb.edu.au

Date created: 1 July 2015

Editor: Ary Hermawan

Editorial board: 
Professor Tim Lindsey
Dr Tim Mann
Aron Corbett

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated.

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