Is Jokowi still a political force?
Analysis, PoliticsTwo weeks after leaving the State Palace and transferring his official position to President Prabowo Subianto, it looks like Jokowi is not retiring from politics, as he once claimed he planned to do.
It takes two to tango: Why dynastic politics is on the rise in Indonesia
Analysis, Elections, PoliticsIt is suggested here that the emergence of political dynasties, including Jokowi’s, has been facilitated by Indonesian voters’ indifferent, if not even supportive, attitude towards dynastic politics.
From barracks to Monas: TNI’s grandiose return to political centre stage
Analysis, Politics, SecurityOn 5 October 2024, the Indonesian National Military (TNI) celebrated its 79th anniversary with great fanfare at the National Monument (Monas) complex in Central Jakarta.
Thousands of civilian onlookers flocked to see the ceremony, which received widespread media attention. Soldiers and military equipment moved down major thoroughfares towards the iconic monument during the city’s weekly car free day. Up to 100,000 military personnel took part in the event.
For Prabowo, Gibran’s online past is less of a problem than his offline future
Analysis, Elections, PoliticsA troll social media account under the name of Fufufafa in Indonesia’s oldest chat forum, Kaskus, has sparked speculation about the relationship dynamics between president-elect Prabowo Subianto and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Why the Brazil vs. Elon Musk saga is a red flag for Indonesia’s digital activists
Media, Politics, SocietyThe Brazil-Musk conflict should be a wake-up call for Indonesian digital activists. The risk of X being blocked is real, and it highlights the fragility of relying on a single, privately owned platform.
Talking Indonesia: digital populism
Media, Politics, Talking IndonesiaIn a time when Indonesian democracy is under threat and protestors against the government are become more and more frustrated, does the internet in Indonesia still have the potential to be a force for good?
'Democracy emergency': Indonesia needs its own movement party
Analysis, PoliticsThe latest mass rallies are momentum for progressive Indonesians to come up with a new plan to advance their visions of a more democratic and just Indonesia
Indonesia’s human rights movement sinks deeper into disarray as Prabowo rises
Human Rights, PoliticsThe meeting between senior officials of the Gerindra party and several pro-democracy activists from the 1997/1998 period and their family members illustrates that although Prabowo has described himself “a staunch defender of human rights”, his past continues to be a concern.
Elite machinations pose major challenge to Golkar’s future
2024 Indonesian Elections, PoliticsThe Munaslub will show whether or not the party is subject to external coercion. If it is, the party could lose its core identity as an internally competitive party, as it its decision making could become dictated by party oligarchs and external powers.