Security 5 - Indonesia at Melbourne

Ballots not bullets: former Muslim militants turn to politics in Poso

2019 Indonesian Elections, Policy in Focus, Political parties, Politics, Religion, Security

Former militia and released terrorists have turned to democratic means to advance their agenda in Central Sulawesi, write Ihsan Ali-Fauzi, Irsyad Rafsadie and Siswo Mulyartono.

Ba'asyir's bizarre on/off release disrupts Jokowi's campaign

2019 Indonesian Elections, Analysis, Politics, Security

Professor Tim Lindsey writes that Jokowi's backtracking on plans to release Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is a reminder that there are still powerful nationalist forces in government who regarded Islamist hardliners as an existential threat.

More of the same? Candidates make unconvincing commitments to human rights in first debate

2019 Indonesian Elections, Human Rights, Politics, Religion, Security

With rights on the agenda during the first debate on 17 January, expectations were high. But as Dr Ken Setiawan writes, the performance of both candidate pairs left little hope for an improvement in the human rights situation.

How did a complaint about a mosque loudspeaker end up in a blasphemy conviction?

Analysis, Religion, Security

The conviction of Meiliana, after she complained about the noise of a nearby mosque, has shocked Indonesia. PUSAD Paramadina researchers examine Meiliana's complaint in detail, and the violence that followed, showing how hate was mobilised to convict her.

Time for an Indo-Australis?

Analysis, Foreign Policy, Security

The Indo-Pacific is slowly replacing the Asia-Pacific as the dominant security and economic concept in our region. Natalie Sambhi writes that the complex challenges of this vast region should be approached bit by bit, and Australia, India and Indonesia could start by strengthening trilateral cooperation in the region's southwest sector, the "Indo-Australis".

There’s now proof that Soeharto orchestrated the 1965 killings

Analysis, Human Rights, Security

According to official government narratives, the military was forced to step in to save the nation from a coup on 1 October 1965. Drawing on her remarkable new book, Dr Jess Melvin explains how rather than reluctantly stepping in, Soeharto and the military used existing military chains of command to actively seize power.

Talking Indonesia: 20 years of military reform

20 Years After Soeharto, Security, Talking Indonesia

Is the military attempting to return to Indonesian political life? How has the military been able to maintain its centrality in Indonesian society over the decades? Dr Charlotte Setijadi explores these issues and more with Dr Jess Melvin in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

The May attacks: is Indonesia facing a new form of terrorism?

Analysis, Security

Over a couple of weeks in early May, Indonesia saw the deadliest spate of terrorist activity since the 2005 Bali bombings. Terrorism researcher Judith Jacob writes that the attacks are consistent with global trends in Islamist militancy but they are also distinctively Indonesian in several important ways.

Terrorism ‘zaman now’: is social media feeding radicalisation?