TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


Is the MPR plotting an end to direct presidential elections?

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For more than a year, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has been quietly working on plans to amend the 1945 Constitution for a fifth time, and reinstate the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN). Bivitri Susanti writes that although the term “state policy guidelines” might sound rather innocuous, the return of the GBHN could have grave political consequences.

Democratic, corrupt, and the glue of the nation: meet the provincial middle classes

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During the New Order period, the middle class was routinely depicted as small (less than 10 per cent of the population) and uninterested in democracy. According to Dr Gerry van Klinken, that picture now needs a serious overhaul. They are interested in democracy, he writes, and even more in decentralisation, and play a crucial role in holding the country together.

Talking Indonesia: infrastructure challenges

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What accounts for Indonesia's infrastructure deficit and how can the government best address it? How does President Joko Widodo differ in his approach to infrastructure compared to his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono? Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues and more with Associate Professor Jamie S. Davidson, from the National University of Singapore, in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

The end of gay social networking apps in Indonesia?

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Last week, the government announced it would seek to ban three gay social networking apps, following the alleged misuse of Grindr in a child prostitution case. Hendri Yulius writes that the bans are representative of the government's struggle to maintain power and authority in the internet era and show that the rapid development of information technology does not necessarily lead to advances in freedom of expression.

Ahok's rise fuels racism in Indonesia

, ,
Anti-Chinese sentiment has deep roots in Indonesian society but there is a widespread perception that it has become worse over recent years, along with the rise of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok. Dr Robertus Robet writes that as Ahok's opponents have struggled to formulate effective criticism against him, they have resorted to unsophisticated appeals to primordial concerns.

Should Indonesian smokers pay more for health costs?

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Indonesian smokers were worked up last month over rumours that the price of cigarettes would soon rise to Rp 50,000 (AU$5). As Dr Krisna Hort explains, the rumours originated from an article that showed that doubling the price of cigarettes would increase tax revenues to a level that could cover the current deficit in the national health insurance scheme (JKN).

Jokowi calls for regional unity, but ASEAN Summit won’t deliver

,
President Joko Widodo made an appeal to Southeast Asian unity in the face of regional instability as the ASEAN Summit kicked off in Laos this week. Dr Avery Poole writes that this may bode well for Indonesia’s traditional leadership role in ASEAN but we are unlikely to see significant progress on key regional governance challenges.

Talking Indonesia: indigenous peoples' rights

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Indonesia's indigenous peoples face serious challenges, including insecure rights to land and lack of recognition of their traditional religions. How are these issues being addressed, and what regional differences have to be taken into account? Dr Ken Setiawan explores these questions and more with Sandra Moniaga, from Komnas HAM, in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Jokowi's broken human rights promises

,
President Joko Widodo has already shown signs that human rights will not be a top priority for his government. But as Christian Donny Putranto writes, few of Jokowi’s passionate campaigners would have ever imagined that two years after his election his administration would promote military officials involved in abducting pro-democracy activists to senior positions in security agencies.

Is the MPR plotting an end to direct presidential elections?

, ,
For more than a year, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has been quietly working on plans to amend the 1945 Constitution for a fifth time, and reinstate the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN). Bivitri Susanti writes that although the term “state policy guidelines” might sound rather innocuous, the return of the GBHN could have grave political consequences.

Democratic, corrupt, and the glue of the nation: meet the provincial middle classes

,
During the New Order period, the middle class was routinely depicted as small (less than 10 per cent of the population) and uninterested in democracy. According to Dr Gerry van Klinken, that picture now needs a serious overhaul. They are interested in democracy, he writes, and even more in decentralisation, and play a crucial role in holding the country together.

Talking Indonesia: infrastructure challenges

,
What accounts for Indonesia's infrastructure deficit and how can the government best address it? How does President Joko Widodo differ in his approach to infrastructure compared to his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono? Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues and more with Associate Professor Jamie S. Davidson, from the National University of Singapore, in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

The end of gay social networking apps in Indonesia?

,
Last week, the government announced it would seek to ban three gay social networking apps, following the alleged misuse of Grindr in a child prostitution case. Hendri Yulius writes that the bans are representative of the government's struggle to maintain power and authority in the internet era and show that the rapid development of information technology does not necessarily lead to advances in freedom of expression.

Ahok's rise fuels racism in Indonesia

, ,
Anti-Chinese sentiment has deep roots in Indonesian society but there is a widespread perception that it has become worse over recent years, along with the rise of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok. Dr Robertus Robet writes that as Ahok's opponents have struggled to formulate effective criticism against him, they have resorted to unsophisticated appeals to primordial concerns.

Should Indonesian smokers pay more for health costs?

,
Indonesian smokers were worked up last month over rumours that the price of cigarettes would soon rise to Rp 50,000 (AU$5). As Dr Krisna Hort explains, the rumours originated from an article that showed that doubling the price of cigarettes would increase tax revenues to a level that could cover the current deficit in the national health insurance scheme (JKN).

Jokowi calls for regional unity, but ASEAN Summit won’t deliver

,
President Joko Widodo made an appeal to Southeast Asian unity in the face of regional instability as the ASEAN Summit kicked off in Laos this week. Dr Avery Poole writes that this may bode well for Indonesia’s traditional leadership role in ASEAN but we are unlikely to see significant progress on key regional governance challenges.

Talking Indonesia: indigenous peoples' rights

,
Indonesia's indigenous peoples face serious challenges, including insecure rights to land and lack of recognition of their traditional religions. How are these issues being addressed, and what regional differences have to be taken into account? Dr Ken Setiawan explores these questions and more with Sandra Moniaga, from Komnas HAM, in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Jokowi's broken human rights promises

,
President Joko Widodo has already shown signs that human rights will not be a top priority for his government. But as Christian Donny Putranto writes, few of Jokowi’s passionate campaigners would have ever imagined that two years after his election his administration would promote military officials involved in abducting pro-democracy activists to senior positions in security agencies.
NEWS & EVENTS

TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


EDITOR’S PICKSSee all

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

21 July 2026/by Rafiqa Qurrata Ayun, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/rafiqa/

Indonesia’s economic centralisation under Prabowo

7 July 2026/by Norman Joshua, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/normanjoshua/

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

23 June 2026/by Ian Wilson, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/ian/

Prabowo’s foreign stooge myth: Are Indonesians buying it?

26 May 2026/by Djayadi Hanan, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/djayadi/, Yoes C Kenawas, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/yoes/

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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