Jokowi 3 - Indonesia at Melbourne

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.

Past event: Jokowi's foreign policy and Australia-Indonesia ties

Analysis, Foreign Policy

Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s contrasting approach to foreign policy compared to his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, stands to reshape Australia-Indonesia ties. In this public lecture, Dr Evi Fitriani charts President Joko Widodo’s distinct approach to foreign policy and outlines the implications for Indonesia’s relationship with Australia.

Jokowi's cabinet reshuffle: implications for the economy

Analysis, Economy, Politics

President Joko Widodo's economy-focused cabinet reshuffle on 27 July has been described as evidence of his growing talent for managing political relationships. But as Matthew Busch writes, while the reshuffle might be a political success, it should not be assumed the gloss extends to the economy.

Jokowi's reshuffle: playing it safe, again?

Analysis, Politics

President Joko Widodo appointed a new cabinet on 27 July, adding nine new faces. Burhanuddin Muhtadi writes that the reshuffle was a pragmatic move aimed at consolidating his now broad ruling coalition and providing him with greater freedom to implement his priority programs. He might appear to be playing it safe, Burhanuddin says, but this strategy is not without risks.

Talking Indonesia: the South China Sea

Foreign Policy, Security, Talking Indonesia

The past month has seen rising tensions in the South China Sea. What are the implications of recent developments for Indonesia, and how can it best respond? Will Indonesia's relations with China be affected? Dr Dave McRae speaks to Dr Makmur Keliat, from the University of Indonesia, about these issues and more in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Jokowi: the trials of navigating through oligarchy

Analysis, Politics

Jokowi was produced by a decentralised democratic system in which negotiation, including with oligarchs, was necessary for advancement. But now that he is president, he finds that he has nothing to bargain with except his personal popularity. As Professor Vedi Hadiz writes, negotiating with oligarchy may end up eroding the popularity Jokowi needs to negotiate with them in the first place.

Jokowi's unlikely promise: settling past human rights abuses

Analysis, Human Rights

In January, President Joko Widodo twice instructed senior officials to resolve past violations of human rights by the end of the year. Yati Andriyani and Nurkholis Hidayat write that unless major changes are made to the reconciliation process, prospects for meaningful resolution do not look good.

Why trade liberalisation should be part of Indonesia’s economic diplomacy

Analysis, Economy

Indonesian diplomats have been encouraged to promote the country's exports and attract more foreign investment. But as Awidya Santikajaya writes, unless trade liberalisation is also part of the discussion, their efforts will not come to much.

Jokowi's first year: environment

Analysis, Environment

The thick haze choking much of Sumatra and Kalimantan and the recent murder of environmental activist Salim Kancil have come to define the environmental record of President Joko Widodo's administration. Josi Khatarina looks back at a year of disappointing progress.

Posts with tag: Jokowi