Posts with tag: New Order

Talking Indonesia: transnational human rights activism

History, Human Rights, Talking Indonesia

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dirk Tomsa chats to Dr Vannessa Hearman about the letter-writing friendships that political prisoners under Soeharto developed with supporters and human rights activists overseas.

Arief Budiman, activist, public intellectual and scholar (1941-2020)

Education, Politics, Society

Prominent public intellectual and leading critic of the Soeharto regime Arief Budiman died on 23 April. Professor Vedi Hadiz reflects on the life of the dissident academic and Foundation Professor of Indonesian Studies at the University of Melbourne.

The danger of rejecting democracy for the sake of economic growth

Analysis, Politics

As observers warn of Indonesia’s democratic retreat, Dr Robertus Robet questions the growing belief that authoritarianism is a shortcut to development

When is a tadpole like a bat? The riddle of Indonesia’s vanishing political divide

20 Years After Soeharto, 2019 Indonesian Elections, Analysis, Corruption, Elections, Environment, Politics, Society

As former arch-rivals Jokowi and Prabowo team up, Airlangga Pribadi Kusman asks how different their positions were to begin with.

Is Indonesian democracy still trapped in old-style politics?

2019 Indonesian Elections, Analysis, Elections, Political parties, Politics

The election is barely over, so it might seem strange to contemplate the next, but the 2019 elections signpost a significant transition that will be evident by the time Indonesia votes again in 2024, writes Donald Greenlees.

'Istirahatlah Kata-Kata': young audiences discover a dissident poet

Arts, Review

"Istirahatlah Kata-Kata", or "Solo, Solitude", is a moving depiction of the life of dissident poet and activist Widji Thukul during a period of self-imposed exile under the New Order. Elly Kent presents a lovely review of the film, which has been immensely popular since its release on 19 January.