Society 17 - Indonesia at Melbourne

Indonesia at Melbourne: 2017 in review

Corruption, Death Penalty, Foreign Policy, Gender, Human Rights, Law, Media, Politics, Religion, Review, Security, Society

Indonesia at Melbourne will again be taking a short break over Christmas and New Year. In this final post for 2017, we look back at the analysis and commentary featured on the blog and podcast throughout the year. Thanks again for your loyal readership and support, and we look forward to seeing you again mid-January.

Talking Indonesia: vigilantism

Analysis, Security, Society, Talking Indonesia

How pervasive is vigilante violence in democratic Indonesia? What drives the phenomenon, and how does the state respond when citizens turn to vigilantism? Dr Dave McRae explores these questions and more with Sana Jaffrey in the final Talking Indonesia episode for 2017.

Meet the Habibs: the Yemen connection in Jakarta politics

Analysis, Politics, Religion, Society

Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab is Indonesia's most prominent 'Habib' – an honorific title given to Islamic scholars who are descendants of Prophet Muhammad. Ahmad Syarif Syechbubakr traces the origins of the Habib in Indonesia and examines their influence over contemporary Jakarta politics.

Djohan Effendi: a passionate defender of pluralism

Analysis, Human Rights, Religion, Society

Former State Secretary and Islamic scholar Djohan Effendi died in Geelong, Victoria, on 17 November after a long illness. His former student Ihsan Ali-Fauzi remembers a quietly principled man who was committed to challenging religious exclusivism.

Reassessing assumptions about Chinese Indonesians

Analysis, Society

Indonesia's massive population is comprised of hundreds of ethnicities. The ethnic Chinese are one of the largest but their numbers are much smaller than is commonly believed. Charles A. Coppel takes a look at recent census data to provide a more accurate picture of this often stigmatised group.

Pribumi: making sense of a troubled term

Analysis, Society

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has been ripped to shreds for saying that it was time for pribumi ('native or indigenous Indonesians') to be masters in their own land. Professor Denny Indrayana looks at the history of the term and questions whether there is any such thing as a true pribumi.

Talking Indonesia: urban villages and activism

Human Rights, Society, Talking Indonesia, Urban planning

Can Jakarta’s urban villages (kampung) co-exist with residential, infrastructure, and commercial projects planned for the city? What do the controversies surrounding evictions and Jakarta’s kampung communities reveal about social and economic divides? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these issues and more with Dr Rita Padawangi in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Between persecution and prosecution: vigilantes, the state and the politics of offence

Analysis, Media, Religion, Society

After leading massive protests against former Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, the past few months have seen the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) doggedly pursuing individuals who have criticised the organisation online. Sana Jaffrey and Siswo Mulartono look at the significance of this phenomenon and explain why is it likely to continue.

Morality versus the law: Rizieq Shihab on the defensive