Security - Indonesia at Melbourne

Military-cleric alliance may fuel new anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Indonesia

Analysis, Gender, Human Rights, Religion, Security

Whatever political games are at play on this issue, efforts to frame LGBTQ people as a non-military threat and efforts to criminalise sexuality will only open more avenues for persecution, mostly for the underprivileged. It will likely be used as a pretext for security forces to further encroach on people’s privacy. In this scenario, everyone, not just the LGBTQ community, is at risk.

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

Analysis, Law, Policies, Politics, Security

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

Analysis, Security, Society

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

Analysis, Human Rights, Politics, Security

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.

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

Analysis, Policies, Politics, Security

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

Indonesia’s Malacca Strait ‘toll’ proposal violates UNCLOS. Is there an alternative?

Analysis, Foreign Policy, Security

The idea is deeply controversial. If seriously proposed, it would face fierce opposition through legal, diplomatic, and even economic means. At the very least, it could hurt Indonesia’s credibility.

The president who cried wolf? Why Prabowo’s anti-foreign rhetoric is dangerous

Analysis, Politics, Security, Society

By crying ‘foreign interference’ at every challenge to his authority, Prabowo risks eroding the credibility his government needs to face real external threats.

A risky gambit: Should Indonesia host US navy’s MRO operations?

Analysis, Security

Indonesia’s strategic location, which includes vitally important international seaways such as the Malacca, Lombok, and the Sunda Straits, is critically important for all navies operating in the Indo-Pacific. This explains why the US is keen for Indonesia to be part of its MRO project expansion in the region.

AGO, cellular giants sign wiretapping pact – and your civil rights are the target

Analysis, Human Rights, Security

The recent move by Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to sign a wiretapping pact with four local major telecommunications operators has put around 350 million cellular users at much greater risk of being watched by the government.

Posted in: Security